Ranma Universe: Alpha and Omega
by ST Pika
Summary: A Ranma idea that I've had floating around in my head, which I finally got down in writing. What happens when Ranma accidentally sets off a chain of events that leads to the final fiancee battle? Chapters 1 thru 31 are now up!
1. Part 1: Wishes

"The Fate of Destruction is the also the Joy of Rebirth..." err... wrong story... (The author is beaten up by various Neon Genesis Evangelion characters)

The real title of this piece: "Ranma Universe: Alpha and Omega"

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½ or any of the characters from it. I wish I did, though...

Version 1.1 12/27/2004: The story has been edited; I just did a major rewrite. If you have read the old version, please read it again...

Version 1.11 1/14/2005: Story has been edited again; hopefully it's a lot better then before. I really appreciated the constructive criticism from Estoria on this chapter, this is a new thing for me (writing in a non-script format) and I'm still stuck in that script mind set. If anyone would like to beta-read for me, please let me know via email and/or IM- tense don't seem to be a strong point of mine.

Thanks to Danny-171984 for the preread on this.

Part 1: Wishes

It had been just another ordinary day of class for Ranma Saotome. A boring Tuesday afternoon... time seemed to pass by slowly as the clock ticked ever closer to that magic time. This would seem boring for most people but the last class was a moment of peace and preparation for Ranma. As soon as he stepped outside of the school building anything could happen... and quite often did.

Today was no exception. Everything seemed normal at first, Akane followed Ranma home and both talked to each other about trivial things. In truth, Ranma was glad to be back at that level of conversation with Akane... she remained angry with him for that "Cursed Doll" incident for almost a week after they returned home... and it took another week to be able to talk like this and not get malleted or yelled at.

After walking about 2/3 of the way home, Ranma suddenly heard a familiar sound... the ringing of a bicycle horn.

"Oh no..." Ranma said with a hint of dread in his voice.

"What is it, Ranma?" Akane turned around for a moment and realized what the problem was...

"_Airen!_"

Ranma kept walking... but Shampoo kept on peddling towards him. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the glomping that was certain to happen once she caught up to him... and the choice words Akane was certain to say...

"_Airen!_ Shampoo want to go out on date!"

Shampoo's arms latched around Ranma and she pulled him back into a hug. After the "Cursed Jewel" incident, Shampoo had been more subdued... Akane's confession of love under the power of the Jewel had really hit her hard. She had not given up on him, however... and neither had Cologne, who managed to cheer her back up and get her "back into the fiancée ring" in a manner of speaking.

Akane turned around again and found the all too familiar scene of Ranma getting glomped by Shampoo unfolding in front her yet again. For some reason, it was bothering her more and more every time she seen it happen... but she still hadn't figured out why. 'Could it be that I'm... jealous? Nah, who'd be jealous of them...'

A small part of her, however, knew what the real answer was... but Akane pushed that answer away and decided to voice her thoughts on Ranma's current situation.

"Looks like you're busy, Ranma..." Akane said crossly.

"Wait, Akane, don't leave..." Ranma's next words were cut off by the sudden pressing of Shampoo's chest again him.

"Forget about violent girl and spend time with Shampoo instead..."

"Look Shampoo, I don't want to go out, okay?" Ranma struggled to free himself from her hug... and heard another familiar voice...

"You! Get your hands off of him! Ranma-honey is going to have dinner with me tonight!" Ukyo ran right up to Shampoo and both made eye contact. Sparks were about to fly...

Akane just sighed. "Could this get any worse?"

A flurry of black petals filled the air and soon an unmistakable laugh filled the air, growing louder and louder with every passing second.

"Yes, it can..." Ranma blurted out as he finally freed himself from Shampoo's grasp. Ukyo's sudden appearance had been enough of a distraction to cause her to lose focus... and Ranma took advantage of that opportunity...

"Why are you here?" Shampoo and Ukyo asked simultaneously.

"None of your business... but if you must know, I am here to take Ranma-darling out to a fancy restaurant for dinner..." Kodachi said with a smile and a short burst of her trademark laughing.

'I had to say something... now everyone's here...' Akane thought as she observed the situation. She knew a fight was brewing... and most likely she would have to get involved- whether she wanted to or not.

As the arguments and threats started to fly, Akane observed Ranma's reaction to all of this. Today was different then normal... he was getting quite red...

"No!" Ukyo yelled back at Kodachi...

"Yes, he is coming with me!"

"You both foolish girls... Ranma will be with me!"

Akane just shook her head. Those three always thought about themselves... and never about what Ranma wanted. 'No wonder he always refuses them... I told them before that they were selfish... and they still are...'

A fresh round of accusations filled the air. Akane was ready to tell all of them off again when Ranma suddenly exploded. He had enough of all of this fighting, name calling, and just sheer madness that always seemed to find its way to him on a regular basis...

"Enough is enough! You guys need to stop this now... if you're so set on beating each other up, why don't you have a battle or something?"

Ranma covers his mouth too late... the damage has already been done. All four girls turn and look at each other and then nod...

"It's about time someone had a good idea... a match sounds good to me! Winner stays with Ranma..." Ukyo said with a smile on her face, this was her chance to get Ranma all for herself.

"Shampoo agree with Spatula girl... winner should get to be with _airen_..."

Kodachi does her trademark laugh and then looks at the other three girls...

"I will seize this chance to be with Ranma-darling... and you peons won't be able to stop me!"

Ranma turns and looks at Akane, who has been silent since his last statement. His look conveys the message... "What do you think?"

"Well... umm..." Akane struggled with her feelings at the moment. A few seconds later, she regains her focus and lets her pride take over...

"I'll fight you three as well, I have my family name to defend, as well as my pride..."

"Fine then, match be this Saturday..." Shampoo said quickly. She wanted to have the match soon... so she could get Ranma as soon as possible.

"Saturday is good for me... all of us should meet..." Ukyo pauses for a moment to think of an ideal location... "Meet by Furinkan High School... that open field should make for a good spot."

"On Saturday, you will feel the wrath of the Black Rose!" Kodachi started to laugh and then runs off...

Shampoo and Ukyo look at each other and then walk away... each one is confident that they will win. Ranma starts to walk towards home, Akane is right behind him, silently contemplating what just happened... and what she has agreed to. If she wins, Ranma will be hers alone. 'Maybe I can get to know him better... he's always distracted by all these fights and battles over him. We've been getting a little closer lately... I wonder if he has similar thoughts about me...'

Akane wasn't psychic, but her thoughts were dead on. Ranma knew Akane was following him and couldn't help but think about her on the walk home. 'She's awfully quiet back there... I wonder what she's thinking about? I don't know how I always end up in these messes... I may have a new, permanent fiancée soon. This had to come up just when I was getting to know Akane a little better... we finally stopped fighting about that damn doll incident...'

At that exact moment, Akane works up the courage to tap Ranma on the shoulder. He turns around and then blushes at the site of Akane. He tries to stop blushing to no avail. Akane loses her train of thought when she realizes why he is red... he is thinking about her.

"What is it, Akane?"

"Oh, nothing. Sorry to bother you..."

"Akane, um..." That was about all that Ranma could blurt out, emotional things were not one of his strong suits.

Akane continued to speak, saving Ranma the trouble. "I'm just... worried about this fight. If I lose, what's going to happen to us... and what will my dad think of me? Your dad would be angry as well..."

"Akane..." he says then bites off his next words allowing them to die before speaking them. "Don't worry about our fathers. I umm... know you'll do your best." Akane takes Ranma's hand and gives it a soft squeeze.

"Thank you, Ranma."

Ranma watches as Akane runs forward, obviously full of some new energy. Ranma continues to walk forward... thinking that the next several days should be... interesting to say the least...

When Ranma arrived back at the dojo, he heard Soun and Genma talking about the fight. He stealthily snuck closer so he could hear exactly what they were saying...

"You do know what'll happen to Akane, right? Those girls will show no mercy! All three of them want my boy..."

"You're... right..." Thoughts of Ukyo, Kodachi, and Shampoo in action fill his mind. In a real fight, any of the three could inflict real damage to his little girl. All three combined made for a disturbing mental picture indeed. The shock of what was to come overloads his mind... and clears away some of the fog that had been there for quite some time. The realization of the true consequences of the situation begin to really sink in...

'This is all my fault... and now Akane could get hurt badly... what to do, what to do?' Soun started to shake his head as a feeling of dread overcame him.

"You have to have faith... I am worried about your daughter as well. She hasn't been training as much as she could... and those other three can be quite dangerous if angered. Each one of them has a major strength..."

Soun begins to weep as a result of the situation. He should have been with Akane, training her... instead of worrying about all of this fiancée business.

"Don't worry Tendo... you and I have some tricks up our sleeve that those three have never seen before. Cheer up... do you want Akane to see you like this?"

Genma puts a reassuring hand on his friends shoulder. He stops weeping and tries to calm himself down...

"You... you're right." Soun takes a deep breath and then speaks again. "I think that we should be making out a training schedule instead of worrying about what could happen..."

Although their intentions are noble, Ranma is not surprised that neither one mentioned his feelings about this fight. He tries to sneak across the front of the dining room unnoticed, but Genma notices him and immediately starts to unload on his son.

"How could you propose this idea, boy? You're putting your engagement to Akane at risk! All my plans for the Saotome School are on the line here... Akane is a fine choice to carry on the school with you..."

Soun speaks up next. "Saotome is right about that... I do have faith in my daughter... but still..."

Ranma takes a deep breath. "This has got to end... I'm tired of everyone tryin' to run my life!"

Ranma storms out of the room before Genma or Soun can respond. They realize that it is truly up to them to help Akane train; no one else can help out it seems. She must win if their plans are to be realized. Both rush up to Akane's room and knock on the door.

"Who's there?"

"It's your loving father and Mr. Saotome... can we come in for a moment?"

"Okay."

Akane is surprised to see them rush in and quickly close the door. She can tell that they are up to something. Genma is the first to speak...

"Tendo and I heard about your fight on Saturday..."

"And we're here to help you- I want you to win, Akane..."

Akane considered their words. She could feel the sincerity of their statements, especially those of her father. He was not speaking those words to further his plans or those of Genma... the words were those of concern from a loving father to his daughter. Akane hugs her father and holds on tight...

"Thanks, father... I want to win..."

Genma silently observes the moment and then speaks...

"I can see that you really do like my boy, despite..."

Akane blushes and is about to speak when Soun comes to her defense...

"Saotome, now's not the time. We need to focus on making a training routine for Akane. Her three opponents use weapons of some sort... we need to overcome that disadvantage."

Genma nods his head. Akane has a long road ahead of her if she wants to beat the others... but both Soun and Genma know that she is up to the challenge. Later that night, at the dinner table, the conversation cannot help but drift to talk about this big fight on Saturday. Nabiki is the first to bring the topic up...

"I heard about your little fight on Saturday, sis. The whole school is buzzing about it..."

Akane turned and looked at her sister, who she suspected was to blame for that. 'That's just great... now I have to hear about this at school... thanks, Nabiki!' Akane thought to herself with a bit of sarcasm...

"Have you set up a training routine, father?" Kasumi was curious about what her father's plans were for Akane. She wanted to see her little sister win this contest- she knew that deep down inside, Akane really cared for Ranma.

"Of course... we start tomorrow."

Ranma looks at Akane and notices a very determined look on her face, she is in deep thought at the moment. He can tell that she is serious about winning. He wonders what she is thinking about...

A moment later, Happosai walks by, whistling to himself while carrying load of underwear in his sack. Nabiki and Kasumi notice some of the underwear is theirs and promptly stand up. Akane seems not to notice his presence...

"Hey, give back my underwear you old pervert!" Nabiki yelled out as she started to move towards the old man.

"Only if you can catch me!" Happosai said with an evil laugh. He runs off... and Nabiki has an urge to go after him. She needs an assistant, however, to try and catch him. She quickly glances at Akane... and finds her spaced out at the table. Since Kasumi's lingerie was part of the stolen goods, Nabiki decides that now maybe the time to get her older sister to help out...

"Come on, sis... let's get him!"

"Nabiki, what are..."

Kasumi's words are cut off as Nabiki grabs her hand and drags her out of the room. Nabiki says a few words to Kasumi, who agrees to help her out. Happosai does have both of their lingerie collections in his grasp. With a new vigor, Kasumi and Nabiki start running after Happosai. Back in the dining room, Soun and Genma just sigh...

"He's still our master..." Soun said as he shook his head.

"A very perverted one, though..."

Ranma waves his hand in front of Akane, trying to get her attention. "Akane... Akane... you in there?"

"Huh? Oh, Ranma... I'm sorry. I must have spaced out. Did I miss anything?"

Everyone falls to the floor, and then gets back up. Soun and Genma decide to silently leave the room and let the two talk alone. Ranma continues to speak.

"Oh, not really... the old man is at it again, I think he got your sisters' underwear. Nabiki and Kasumi went after him..."

Ranma pauses as Kasumi and Nabiki run down the hallway right in front of him. He lets out a sigh and shrugs his shoulders...

"Another day, another panty raid for gramps..."

"Someone should stop him from doing that all the time..." Akane softly spoke to herself.

"Remember he tried to stop on his own when he fell in love with that teacher a while back? That didn't last long... and when I pound on him, he still doesn't change his ways..."

"I guess you're right Ranma. You were going to ask me something?"

"I umm... was just wondering about this fight... who's training you?"

"My father and your father... they decided to help me out. I have to be serious... otherwise, I don't have a chance..."

Akane's last words were spoken with a hint of sadness... part of her daydream a moment ago was thinking about what would happen if she loses. She tried to keep that thought out of her head, but it just wouldn't go away...

Ranma looked at Akane and noticed that her expression suddenly change to that of sadness. He decided to try and get her out of her funk... a depressed Akane could be dangerous if angered... and he didn't like seeing her like this...

"I could train you... but then the others would kill me. Besides, it wouldn't be fair... me um... playing sides..."

"It's okay, Ranma. I understand." Akane smiled. "I think I'll do fine..."

The sound of footsteps interrupts their conversation; Nabiki and Kasumi were now upstairs chasing the old pervert around, trying to get their underwear back...

"Ranma, could you stop Happosai? My sisters aren't martial artists like us and I'm afraid they won't get their stuff back..."

"No problem... but I need a distraction. Hmmm..." Ranma paused for a moment to think. He looked around, trying to find something that would distract the old man... and he found it lying on the ground, about 10 feet in front of him. Ranma stands up and walks over to the forgotten garment...

Akane notices what he is looking at and starts to get angry. "Why are you staring at that bra?"

Ranma could hear the anger in her voice, but decides not to retaliate. "I think it may be the solution to the problem..."

Ranma picked up the white lace bra and could not help but stare at it for a moment. That moment was too long in Akane's eyes, though. The now fuming girl gets up and walks over to Ranma, ready to pull out her mallet.

"I knew there was a reason why I've been calling you a hentai... what are you doing with Kasumi's bra?"

A startled Ranma looks up and finds Akane right in front of him, her battle aura radiating all around her. He knows that she will pull out her mallet any second...

"This is Kasumi's?" Ranma was very surprised by this revelation. He didn't expect the oldest Tendo daughter to be wearing provocative lingerie like this... Kasumi must have other sides to her that he didn't know about.

Akane was at her wit's end. "Yes, it's my sisters'... now tell me what you're doing with her bra!"

Out of nowhere, Akane pulled out her trusty mallet and smacked Ranma with it. He groaned and rubbed his head...

"Damn it, Akane... trust me once in a while, okay? I wasn't being perverted or anything... this bra is the perfect bait for the old man."

"Oh..."

Ranma stands up and stares at Akane. He is very mad at her constant lack of trust in him... but there is a bigger problem to face at the moment. A loud yelp is heard; Nabiki had just had her toes stepped on by accident upstairs. Cries of "Dirty old man" are heard throughout the dojo. Akane breaks the silence...

"Sounds like my sisters are still chasing him... I didn't know that they had such endurance..."

"Or they're very persistent when angry." Ranma quickly replied. "Does your dad still have that old fishing pole?"

"What would you need t..." Akane stopped speaking after realizing what he was going to do. She admired how he could think his way out of any situation... that ability had saved his life several times... and hers as well. "Follow me, Ranma..."

Akane starts walking out of the room, Ranma is right behind her. She is surprised that he didn't snap back at her...

As Akane and Ranma head to a different part of the house, a door opens and Genma and Soun head back into the living room to finish eating. Both had been listening to the conversation that Akane and Ranma were having...

"I think my little girl needs to work on one issue- trusting Ranma."

"Yeah, that's true. I think that's one thing that both of them need to work on... trusting each other. I think they can overcome that obstacle with time..." Soun sits back down at the table. "Now, let's eat and have a toast to Ranma and Akane..."

Genma grabs the cup of sake and holds it up. "I'll toast to that... and the uniting of our two schools!"

After downing their drinks, both Genma and Soun realize that they have some hard work ahead if their dream is to be realized... Akane needed some rigorous training and fast. Otherwise, she wouldn't stand too much of a chance versus the other girls, who were training just as hard in their respective places to beat her...

To be continued in Part 2: An Amazing Day of Firsts


	2. Part 2: An Amazing Day of Firsts

Part 2: An Amazing Day of Firsts

Greetings!

For those unfamiliar with my prior works, I would just like to state two things. First, I only write epic stories, no short stories or one-shots. Second, always expect the unexpected to happen in my stories… I always bring in unusual ideas and elements. Thanks to RanmaSaotome103, Datexn, Fusion Blaster, and Danny171984 for prereading. Having said that- onto the next part of the story!

Last time, Nabiki and Kasumi were chasing after Happosai on the second floor of the Tendo house. Genma and Soün are drinking at the table… and Akane and Ranma are retrieving an old fishing pole.

After about one minute of searching, Akane finally finds the pole. Ranma ties Kasumi's bra to it and the two pause for a moment to think of a plan.

"Okay, now we have the bait… but how to trap him?" Ranma scratched his head in thought.

Akane has an idea a moment later. She grabs a nearby sack and hands it to Ranma.

"All we need to do is distract him and then bag him… cornering him would be the best idea."

"Sounds good to me… gramps isn't gonna know what hit him."

Ranma and Akane silently head upstairs to meet up with Nabiki and Kasumi. They find Nabiki first and pull her off to the side to explain what their plan is…

"Good idea guys. Let's get Kasumi and then we can trap Happosai."

Nabiki looks at the fishing pole and realizes that one of Kasumi's bras is the bait.

"Heh. Whose idea was it use that bra?"

Ranma speaks up with some hesitancy. "Mine."

Nabiki nudges Akane with her elbow. She decides to play a joke on Akane. "Are you sure you want to win? It looks like Ranma is thinking perverted thoughts…"

As Nabiki expected, Akane came immediately to Ranma's defense. "Not this time, sis. I know Ranma was just trying to help out."

Akane takes a knowing look at Ranma, and he nods. He feels happy inside about the fact that she just defended his actions… she was putting trust in him… and he liked it.

'These two make a great duo… if only they could work together like this all the time…' Nabiki thought to herself as she placed a hand on Ranma and Akane's shoulder.

"Well, it looks like Akane is falling in…" Akane elbowed Nabiki before she could embarrass her further.

Ranma clears his throat and brings the groups attention back to the mission at hand. "Akane, you hold the pole and Nabiki and I will spring out and trap him."

Both Tendo girls nod and then the three silently head down the hallway. After turning the corner, they find Kasumi holding a rattling door shut.

"He's in here…" Kasumi said as she struggled to keep the door closed.

Nabiki walked up to Kasumi and whispered in her ear. "Let the door open up in about 20 seconds, and then wonder around saying that you saw one of your bra's lying around somewhere… and we'll do the rest…"

Kasumi nodded her head, hoping that she could hold the door shut for that long. Nabiki, Ranma, and Akane tiptoed down the hallway and got ready to spring their trap. Right on time, Kasumi suddenly let go of the door… and Happosai came bounding out of it…

"Give up, my dear?"

Kasumi acts innocent and does her trademark "Oh my" and then leads Happosai on with her next comment…

"I saw one of my bras lying around here… where did it go?"

Eager to find this lost treasure, Happosai goes running down the hallway, he wants to find it before she does. After turning the corner, his query is sight…

"Sweeto! So beautiful… so lacy… I must have this one!"

Happosai jumps at the bra, eager to hold it in his hands. He grabs it and starts to feel it, checking out the fabric. He fails to notice that Ranma and Nabiki are behind him… and Akane is standing right in front of him... he's totally surrounded.

"We got you old man… give up the underwear now!" Ranma said with conviction.

Happosai pulls his bag of underwear closer. "Never!"

Happosai looks around and tries to think of a way to escape from this situation… and one comes to mind after a moment. He starts digging in his pockets… and the other three go on guard, expecting a bomb or something else like it to appear.

"Behold the instrument of my escape!"

Ranma snickered at the site of the object that was in Happosai's hand. "What are you going to do with that little balloon?"

"Never underestimate me, Ranma… I know all of your weaknesses…"

A smile formed on Ranma's face. "Unless there's a cat in there, I'm not worried at all."

"No, it's not a cat. I do know of some other things you don't like…" Happosai prepares to throw the balloon at Ranma… "And here it is!"

Ranma instinctively raised his hands to block the balloon… and by doing so, caused it to break upon impact. The water that was inside the balloon splashes onto him and Nabiki… he can feel the now familiar sensation of changing forms…

Happosai takes advantage of the transformation and jumps onto Ranma-chan. He knows that Ranma dislikes being felt up in his girl form… and takes advantage of this to try and escape…

"Ranma, you're becoming quite the woman…"

"Get off of me you little lech!" Ranma-chan screamed as Happosai's started to feel her up in earnest. 'Another second or two and I'll make my break for it…' Happosai thought as he continued his assault. Akane and Nabiki started to move in "for the kill." Happosai had one last thing to say to Ranma-chan before making his move…

"Sweeto! Nice, big, round, and SOFT!"

Ranma-chan goes red with embarrassment, she hadn't gotten used to all of the things that go with being a female. Happosai sensed that her guard was down and pushed off, flying back towards the wall. He then bounced off the wall and flew forward…

… right into Akane's sack. She quickly ties it up and holds it up triumphantly.

"We did it, Ranma. Good work."

"Thanks, Akane." Ranma stares at the sack with the struggling old man inside. "That's what you get for stealing underwear… not everyone you steal from is helpless."

Nabiki was the next one to speak. "You don't how much money I've had to raise just to buy some of these… and you steal all my hard work."

Cries of "But, but…" are heard from within the bag. "I can't help it, they're Sooooooooooo SOFT!"

Nabiki is ready to beat the sack and the old man within it to a pulp. Happosai's next comment, however, is directly towards Ranma-chan… and sends her over the edge.

"Hey Ranma my boy, maybe you should try wearing a bra- it would do your figure more good."

A very embarrassed and pissed off Ranma-chan motions Akane to hold out the sack. Ranma-chan looks at Nabiki and then nods at the sack.

"Ready Nabiki?"

"Let's send this pervert flying!"

Nabiki and Ranma launch a simultaneous double kick which sends Happosai flying thru the ceiling and out into the night…

"Good riddance" Ranma-chan said with a smile on her face.

Nabiki turns to look at Ranma-chan and notices something…

"Ranma, your shirt is open…"

Akane just puts her hand over her forehead in exasperation. Ranma-chan looks down and finds that her shirt has several buttons undone… exposing part of her chest…

"That pervert! I hate it when he does that!" Ranma-chan replied with much disgust as she re-buttoned her shirt.

Nabiki takes the bag full of underwear and starts walking away…

"It's been fun… but I'm tired. I'll get Kasumi and we'll separate the lingerie. Thanks, sis, Ranma"

"No problem. Taking care of gramps there is always a workout…"

"Good night, sis." Akane said she handed Nabiki the bra that was on the fishing pole.

"Good night… see you two in the morning."

Akane yawns. "Maybe I should turn in for the night… I'm sure that I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow…"

"Oh, that's right… our parents have a training schedule for you." Ranma-chan replied, remembering the events of earlier that day.

"Yeah. I'd better rest up for the training. Good night, Ranma"

"'Night, Akane…"

Akane walks down the hall and heads to her room. She knows that tomorrow is a big day… and so is every day until the battle. After changing for bed, she relaxes and thinks about the future… and falls asleep thinking about Ranma.

Around midnight, Kasumi comes downstairs to get something to eat, being very hungry because of missing her dinner and dealing with Happosai earlier. She is surprised to see someone out on the patio, staring at the night sky…

"Ranma?"

Ranma-chan turns around. "Oh, hi Kasumi."

"I'm surprised to see your still awake… is something on your mind?"

Ranma-chan gives a halfhearted reply. "Yeah, sorta…"

Kasumi had a few ideas about what may be bothering Ranma… one issue in particular had to be on her mind at the moment.

"You're worried about the fight, aren't you?"

"Of course I am… my big mouth got me into trouble this time…" Ranma-chan said with some sadness in her voice.

"Ranma, you're not the only one in trouble here…"

Ranma-chan was taken aback by Kasumi's sudden serious tone of voice. Kasumi continues a moment later…

"Akane is now involved in this fight because of what you said… and I'm…"

Kasumi pauses for a moment before speaking again, she is starting to get really emotional about all that is happening around her.

"…Very worried about my sister. She hasn't been training as much as she could've been lately… and those other girls could really hurt her…"

Ranma-chan doesn't know what to say in reply to Kasumi… she had not even considered what the consequences of that comment were to other people around her, especially Akane. Nabiki, who had come down to get a snack a minute prior, steps onto the porch and speaks a few choice words to Ranma…

"If anything happens to my sister.. you will pay for it Saotome... one way or the other."

Normally Kasumi would scold her sister about using that tone of voice with someone… but not now. Nabiki is concerned about her sisters welfare and picked that way to voice it. Ranma-chan can barely stutter a reply in return…

"I… I… I'm sorry…"

"You will be if she gets hurt… you'd better hope that she wins, Ranma…"

With that, Nabiki headed back inside the house. On her way back upstairs, she passes a half awake Akane, who was on her way to the kitchen for a midnight snack.

"You'd better talk to your fiancée… it's his fault that you're in this fight…"

Akane nods and then yawns; acknowledging Nabiki's comment. Nabiki heads back to bed and Akane silently heads into the kitchen. She hears Kasumi and Ranma-chan talking and decides to silently listen in…

"Oh my," Kasumi says softly. "Didn't Shampoo say that obstacles were for killing... you don't think she'd..." she could not finish the question as the answer was all too clear.

"NO... please... damn it... this wasn't supposed to happen... if she gets hurt... I'll... I can't... please Kami, don't let her get hurt..." With that, Ranma-chan fell down to her knees as the emotions started to overwhelm her. She had suddenly realized that Kodachi and Shampoo could kill Akane outright, in this competition, it'd be very close to legal.

After seeing Ranma-chan fall to her knees and begin to shake, she couldn't help but say something to calm Ranma-chan and herself down…

"Ranma… I'm sure Akane will be all right… you know how determined she is."

Akane could not believe her ears… she was hearing the always strong, arrogant, and cocky Ranma Saotome break down like that... over her. She was definitely confused… and also happy at the same time.

Kasumi, seeing the way Ranma-chan is acting, decides to ask her an important question. She knows that it would be difficult for Ranma to answer, but she needed to know his true feelings…

"Ranma, do you love Akane?"

Ranma-chan takes a deep breath and is about to say something when Kasumi speaks again.

"Ranma, please tell me the truth- don't lie to me."

All Ranma-chan can manage is a slight nodding of her head; she wasn't expecting Kasumi to ask that question. That question had been that she had been thinking about lately, but her inexperience in emotional matters made it difficult to really tell what her real feelings were on the matter. The smile on Kasumi's face indicates to Ranma-chan that the response was good enough.

From her vantage point, Akane was unable to see what just happened- she only heard the words that were spoken. She decides to head back upstairs… she was beginning to get sleepy again and there was a lot on her mind- the fight, Ranma, what his answer was…

Ranma-chan could swear that she heard someone walking in the distance, it sounded like someone was making slow, wooden steps. Kasumi draws Ranma-chan's attention back to the matter at hand.

Kasumi smiled gently, "Don't you think you should tell her then?"

Ranma-chan sighed heavily, "You know what'll happen if I do..."

"But why is that a bad thing?" Kasumi asked in confusion as she thought that admitting feelings would lead to marriage.

"Kasumi... no matter what choice I make... honor of the Saotome's, Tendo's and Kuonji's are at stake as well as many others." She let out an agonizing sigh. "If I were to marry one, then the honor bound agreements to the others is then broken... and then what good is 'our' Honor?" Ranma had put an emphasis on 'our' to show she was not just talking about herself. Kasumi gasped at what she said and understood what he meant by 'our'. Kasumi was pleasantly surprised, as she had never known Ranma to think so much about it. "I... I think this fight is the only way to satisfy the honor of everyone... even if I... even if I chose one, because of my pops, our honor is ruined…"

Kasumi looked at him sadly, "But Ranma..."

"And that's another thing..." Ranma-chan said interrupting her and then wincing at having interrupted her.

"Go on…"

"My curse…" Ranma-chan stopped speaking as she felt her emotions starting to overwhelm her. This was one thing that Ranma disliked about being in female form… he was not used to being emotional like this. All of the events of today started rapidly spinning through her mind and she began to sob softly…

"Kasumi, I've started to think about my curse… I may never be cured…"

"Ranma… that may be true. I don't think my sister or the others ever really had a problem with it, though…"

"Well, Shampoo wanted to kill me at first… and your sister was kinda pissed off at me and how I used this form in the past… but now things are different, I guess." Ranma said with a sigh.

Kasumi put a reassuring hand on Ranma-chan's shoulder.

"It's just… I'm not used to being a girl- I wasn't born that way… I don't know if the others understand that…"

"Oh…" was about all that Kasumi could say to that.

"Shampoo would be the only one with any clue about how I feel… since she has a curse, too…"

"Ranma… I can't relate to how you feel but… if you need any help with dealing with being a girl, just ask. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed about it… since like you said, it's not a natural thing for you."

Ranma-chan turned and smiled at Kasumi. "Thanks…"

A thought came to Kasumi's mind a moment later. "Ranma, why don't I get you some hot water so you can change back."

"Thank you Kasumi" Ranma-chan said, eager to change back and then get some rest, it was nearly one A.M. and she had school tomorrow.

A couple minutes later, Kasumi returned and handed Ranma-chan the container of hot water. She eagerly splashed it on herself and was soon back to his original self.

"Whew… it feels good to be back."

"You should get some rest, Ranma. It's almost 1 A.M. and you have school tomorrow…" Kasumi said with some concern. Ranma needed rest, and he wanted to think about the situation and try and help Akane, if at all possible.

Ranma stood up. "Good night, Kasumi. It was nice talking with yah…" Ranma walked back into the house and went straight to his room. He fell asleep after a few minutes of thinking- he had been thinking about his discussion with Kasumi and how he had learned some new things about her today… and about himself.

Kasumi had similar thoughts about Ranma as she relaxed in her bed. 'There is more to him then meets the eye… I hope Akane gets the chance to see that. I never knew about this side of him… and he does love Akane. I hope Father and Mr. Saotome can teach her and help her to win…'

The next day at school was horrible for Ranma and Akane. Both were pestered by other students asking about the fight and what they were going to do. During lunch Akane sat by herself and silently ate her food, thinking about different things she could do to beat the other girls.

During the morning session of school, Ukyo had watched what was going on. A few

people asked her about the fight, but most were busy pestering Ranma and Akane. She silently stole glances of Ranma when Akane wasn't looking.

'This could be my one and only chance to get Ran-chan for myself… but I don't know if that matters.' Ukyo sighed heavily as she remembered a couple important things that had happened recently, most notably that incident on the floating island. He had risked his life for Akane again, giving up the chance to get rid of his curse for her. Ranma had disappeared to go after Akane during the Shinnosuke incident- that she had heard about from Ryoga. The cursed jewel incident… there was just so much stuff to ponder. Ranma and Akane still were fighting, that was still one of their trademarks, but it was different then it was in the past… and he always came back to her. No matter what happened, they ended up together again. 'What should I do? I can't back out of the fight…'

Ukyo pulled out her lunch and began eating, thinking about what to do. Five minutes later, she had a few ideas. First, she would allow herself to get hurt... if Ranma shows concern then fight harder... fight for him. That would help to show where his true feelings lied. The other thing she would have to watch out for was what he does when Akane gets hurt- if he shows a lot of concern, then she will drop out as if she has already lost. Continuing to beat on Akane would only make things worse between them and would accomplish nothing. Having figured out a plan, she finished her lunch and took a nap before the lunch period was over.

About an hour later, over at the Cat Café, Shampoo was taking a break after the lunch rush. She was thinking about what kind of training she would do to prepare for the fight this weekend… and also daydreaming about Ranma. She nearly had him one time before, but Mousse had stopped her dream by giving that jewel to Akane. That setback crushed her… it took a while for her to realize that she wasn't out of the running just quite yet.

'This Shampoo's only chance to truly be with Ranma. If I win, he will be my _airen_…'

Cologne noticed Shampoo sitting down at one of the tables in the café, deep in thought. She decided to find out what was on her great-grand daughters mind…

"My dear, what is the matter?"

"Shampoo thinking about the fight and Ranma…"

"I figured as much. After we close up for the evening, I have a few Amazon techniques I can teach you. Surprise and skill are what will win the battle on Saturday. I hope you realize that by agreeing to this battle… you run the risk of losing Ranma if you lose. Honor dictates that fact…"

"Shampoo know that… but…"

"Just wanted to make sure you knew that. Can you run the restaurant for a while? I'll try and dig up some of my old scrolls…"

"Okay, great-grand mother!"

With that, Cologne bounced out of the room on her staff and headed upstairs to search for some Amazon techniques that could quickly be mastered.

Across town at the Kuno residence, Tatewaki Kuno walks into the main courtyard of his home and finds his sister practicing various techniques with her purple ribbon. A pile of black roses are on her right, various throwing objects lie on her left side. Tatewaki watches as his sister whips her ribbon around a bowling pin and then flings across the courtyard at the wall. Three specially made targets plaster the wall- a bull's-eye with the faces of Akane, Ukyo, and Shampoo on the backing.

"I see that you are working on your long distance attacks, dear sister…"

Kodachi throws another bowling pin towards the wall, hitting Ukyo this time instead of Shampoo. She then realizes that someone is behind her. Without thinking, she grabs another bowling pin and throws it in the direction of the person, hitting her brother right in the middle of the head and knocking him to the ground…

"HOHOHOHO serves you right brother dear for sneaking in and spying on me, the Black Rose!" Kodachi said as she walked over to her dazed brother who was now putting a hand over his forehead.

"Owww…"

"I shall win this contest and have Ranma-darling all to myself… HOHOHOHOO!"

Tatewaki just shakes his head and thinks about what would happen if she won. 'Saotome and my sister… poor soul…'

Over in another corner of Nerima, Ranma and Akane arrive home from school and Akane suddenly finds herself being accosted by her father and Genma Saotome.

"Get changed, Akane. We don't have a moment to lose…" Soün said as he opened the door to her room.

"We'll be waiting in the dojo for you…" Genma said as he nodded his head. Soün and Genma then turn around and head down to the dojo for training. Nabiki, who is sitting at the living room table, notices her father and Genma going by and sighs aloud.

"If they're Akane's only hope, then she's doomed…" Nabiki causually remarked out loud to herself.

"Nabiki! Don't talk about your father like that!" Kasumi chided her sister for saying such a thing.

"Look, sis. You know that Daddy isn't the best martial artist around… and neither is Mr. Saotome…"

Before Kasumi can reply to that, Ranma walks into the room and is greeted by silence.

"Ranma here is about the only one that has any decent techniques…" Nabiki said as she pointed at Ranma.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ranma said, unaware of why their conversation had suddenly shifted to him.

"Nabiki has no faith in her own father or in your father…" Kasumi said, still unfazed about her sister's comments to the contrary.

"Well, I um…" Ranma suddenly stopped speaking as he heard Akane running down the stairs behind him. She ran right towards him on her way to the outside dojo… and time seemed to slow down for a moment as their eyes met. Ranma saw a very determined look on Akane's face… and when she saw his face, a brief smile formed on hers…

Nabiki watched her sister ran outside and couldn't help but make a comment…

"She looked pretty eager to train, Ranma…" Ranma didn't respond, he was still thinking about Akane and her smile that she had just flashed at him. 'She certainly has a cute smile… and it looked like she was ready to fight… fight for me…'

"Hello, Ranma… Ranma!" Nabiki tried in vain to get his attention.

"Ranma, are you all right?" Kasumi asked, getting very concerned about Ranma's sudden zoning out.

"Huh?" Ranma finally came out of his stupor of deep thought and turned around.

Nabiki stands up and walks over to Ranma. "Taken by my sisters outfit, huh? Didn't you say it was your favorite thing to see her in?"

"Was she in her gi?" Ranma absent-mindedly replied. He was only focused on the smile, not on what she was wearing.

Nabiki realizes that he must have been looking at something else on her sister… but what? She decides to find out…

"Of course she was, Ranma… she's training with my father and yours… what were you looking at that you couldn't see what she was wearing?"

"Umm…" Ranma replied, trying to avoid getting teased in the future about Akane's smile. Unfortunately for him, Nabiki wasn't going to let him off easy…

"Yah know, Ranma… most of the time she doesn't wear a bra when she trains in that gi…" Nabiki said- being quite sure that Ranma would be embarrassed by the comment.

"Wait a second… you're wrong. She does wear one…" Nabiki smiled… she had caused Ranma to trap himself.

Nabiki pushed the inquisition to a new level. "And just how do you know that?"

"Well, um…" Ranma turned very red and lowered his voice. "She doesn't umm… bounce around very much when she trains…"

"I see… so you are a pervert, just like my sister says you are. You were staring at her breasts, weren't you?" Nabiki said as she nudged the very nervous and fidgeting martial artist.

"I wasn't looking at her breasts!" Ranma yelled out as he went on the defensive. Nabiki always had a way of getting him agitated with her teasing.

"Ranma, you shouldn't be staring at her breasts until after your marriage…" Kasumi said as she gently chided Ranma. Despite his protests to the contrary, she knew he had looked at Akane's chest a few times…

Any further comments are postponed, however. A loud "Bing" is heard in the distance, indicating that a timer had just gone off in the kitchen. Kasumi decides to get her sister away from Ranma. "Nabiki, I need some help with dinner…"

'Damn it… just when I was starting to have some fun.' Nabiki cleared her throat. "I'll talk to you later, Ranma… and don't forget what I said last night… Akane better win or else!"

With that, Kasumi and Nabiki walk out of the room and into the kitchen, leaving Ranma alone with his thoughts. He soon becomes bored and decides to see how Akane is doing. Quietly, he opens the door to the dojo and peeks inside. He finds Soün giving commands to Akane...

"That's good Akane… keep up the pace. High, low, high, low…"

"Good work." Genma said as he continue to move the target, Akane was both punching and kicking the target, utilizing a number of her muscles in the process.

After another minute of training, Soün steps behind Akane and announces a new exercise…

"Let's see if you can defend against both of us at once. Since you're going against three other people, this situation is sure to come up…"

Akane stops for a moment to catch her breath and then nods at her father. "Good thinking, father… I'm sure they'll try and gang up on me during the fight…"

Ranma watches as Genma and Soün charge Akane and try to hit her. She deftly dodges their attacks and begins to counterattack. Her speed was improving and the clarity of purpose for the fight, to win and be with Ranma, only served to give her more strength and energy.

'She's getting a lot better… she does have a chance if she can keep on improving like this…' Ranma thought to himself as the match continued. Genma and Soün manage to get in a few hits each, but Akane pushes aside the pain and continues to fight…

'I hope she'll be okay… the other three girls view her as an obstacle…' Ranma gulps. 'An obstacle to me… and my heart…' A tap on his shoulder suddenly brings Ranma's attention elsewhere. He spins around and finds a grinning face staring at him…

"Trying to get a good look at her chest again Ranma?" Nabiki said as Ranma sighed aloud. She had found him again… and Kasumi was nowhere to be seen. He would have to figure out a way to escape on his own…

"No, that's not why I was watching." Ranma paused for a moment, Nabiki said nothing but just nodded her head, which signaled "Go on" to Ranma. "I was um… wondering about her training and how it was going. It looks she's doing pretty good in there…"

"Uh-huh. Well if that's the case, then I guess I'll have to stop teasing you about your wandering eyes…" Ranma breathed a sigh of relief after Nabiki's last statement. "I'll have to switch to teasing you about being concerned for my sister…" Nabiki said the last part with a smile…

Ranma started to get frustrated and pull at his hair a little bit. "Damn you, Nabiki!"

"Hey… can I help it if you're in love with my little sister?" Ranma was silent after that comment. Nabiki started walking back towards the house. "Oh, Ranma… it's almost time to eat, could you pass that along to Akane and our fathers…"

Ranma nods his head and then breathes a sigh of relief as Nabiki finally is out of his sight. 'Thank goodness… I swear she gets on my nerves sometimes with all of her teasing and joking around.' Ranma heads over to the dojo and cautiously steps inside…

"Umm… dinner's almost ready…"

"Well, if that's the case, let's do some cool down excercises…" Soün said as he started to slow down and do some stretching excercises. Genma and Akane both start to do cool down activities as well… Akane notices Ranma glancing at her from the corner of her eye.

'Is he… worried about me? I could have sworn he was watching me train earlier…' Akane thought to herself as she did her cool down activities.

Ranma nervously waited for the three to finish their cool downs and then all four head inside for dinner.

A famished Soün and Genma quickly eat their food, all of that exercise has wiped them out. Kasumi continues to pass dish after dish their way…

"The way they're eating, you'd think the world was coming to an end…" Ranma commented to no one in particular.

Genma paused for a moment to give a retort. "Eating is part of the Art- one must have the energy as well as the will…"

"Whatever you say, pops…" Ranma said as he dismissed the idea… his father had just made that up on the spur of the moment to defend himself. Next to him, Akane quietly eats her dinner, truly enjoying every bite of Kasumi's dinner…

'I wish I could make food like this… almost everything I make is horrible. Oh well… one challenge at a time. First, I gotta win on Saturday and show those girls that Akane Tendo never backs down from a challenge…'

Dinner passes by quickly; Nabiki is surprisingly silent during the whole affair. Kasumi had a talk with her and got her to "take it easy" on Ranma and Akane during this difficult time. Nabiki heads back to her room after dinner and tries to think of some money-making ideas…

Akane decides to head out to the dojo again to do some more practicing and Ranma heads up to his room to work on some homework…

'Damn it… this stuff is hard!' Ranma thought as he tried to finish off his school work. Due to the 10 year training trip that he had taken with his father, his formal education was minimal, except for what he had learned since living here with the Tendo's.

Ranma lied down on his futon and looked up at the ceiling. Too much was going on in his life… this incident was icing on the cake, so to speak. Because of his comments, his future was now in the hands of someone else and he really couldn't do anything about it.

Before he knew, Ranma fell asleep and started have a dream…

The green field of Furinkan High School comes into view as Ranma looks around to see where he is. He can see four girls in the distance and immediately realizes that this must be the big battle. Adrenaline fills his body as he runs over to the fighting girls… he suddenly stops in his tracks as the image becomes clearer. Akane is on the ground, barely conscious and bleeding heavily.

"Ranma no longer have to worry about kitchen-destroyer…"

"The Black Rose cannot be defeated!"

Shampoo and Kodachi's words echo through Ranma's soul as he looks down at the horrifying sight that is right before him. He desperately yells "STOP!" but no one hears him. The girls continue to attack Akane, the sheer brutality of their attacks sickens Ranma… he screams "Damn it, STOP!" several times to no avail. "AKANE!" is the last thing he manages to say before waking up in a cold sweat…

'Damn! What a nightmare! Akane got…'

Words fail Ranma as he realizes something rather important. His dream/nightmare could very well happen in real life… knowing Shampoo and Kodachi. Ukyo was another matter all together. She wouldn't beat someone when they were down… but she did still hold onto the idea that she could be more then just his friend. Ranma tries to focus his mind on something else and quickly decides to try and finish his schoolwork, which will keep him out of trouble at school and also with Akane.

A few hours later, Genma comes upstairs and finds his son asleep. He turns off the light and crawls into his own futon and begins talking to himself as he falls asleep…

'Don't worry boy… Akane will have a good chance of winning. She just spent another hour training… the schools will still be united…'

Time passes and it's soon Friday. Ranma and Akane head off to school as usual but speak very little on the way there. Akane is very tired from the previous days training and Ranma has a lot on his mind. There are no confrontations during the morning session of class… Kuno was going to confront Ranma but was stopped by Nabiki, who made a quick sale of some older photos that she had found…

At lunchtime, Ukyo deliberates on a thought that she had earlier in the day. 'Maybe I should see Ran-chan and ask him what his real feelings are. I… I don't want to hurt him… he's been through so much and I don't wanna lose his friendship. If I do this, it has to be tonight…'

The afternoon session soon starts and passes by very slowly. A rainstorm has started entering the area just as classes finish for the day. The warm sun is being replaced with clouds and a cold, damp wind. Ranma is the first one to complain about the weather as he stands next to Akane at the front entrance to the school…

"Just great… I don't have my umbrella with me…"

Akane takes one look at Ranma and takes a deep breath before speaking…

"Ranma… umm… we can share my umbrella…"

Ranma is momentarily stunned by this… it wasn't a bad thing that just happened… it was just… unusual. 'Is it really unusual for her? Do I know her as well as I think I do?'

"Sure Akane, let's go…"

Ranma and Akane slowly make their way home, the storm suddenly picks up in intensity causing the rain to be blown into Ranma, changing him into his girl form.

"Now I'll have to take a bath just to change back. I don't remember hearing anything about this storm on the news…"

"Neither did I… but something told me to bring the umbrella with today…"

Ranma-chan nods and then decides to keep the small talk going as a way to pass time.

"Umm… how's your training going?"

"My training? Well, it's been tough… but I think I'm a bit stronger and faster then I was before… like when you and I fought to get the Dojo back from those two sisters…"

Ranma-chan thinks back on that incident and remembers how much Akane had improved in a short period of time. She didn't say too much about it at the time, but her improvement had made an impression on Ranma.

"Yeah… but this time you have three people to fight…"

Akane quickly responded in an optimistic tone. "But that doesn't mean that they'll all be fighting me at once…"

"Oh yeah…" Ranma said as he realized what she meant. Cooperation has never been a strong suit for Akane's opponents… especially Kodachi.

Ranma-chan and Akane soon approach the house and head inside. Soün and Genma are waiting inside…

"We're home!" Akane said as she took off her shoes.

"We've been waiting for you, Akane. Are you ready to get in some last minute training?" Soün asked his daughter. Akane responded immediately…

"Yeah! I wanna make sure I win tomorrow!"

With that, Akane runs upstairs to her room and changes into her gi. Genma and Soün decide to talk to Ranma-chan while they wait for her return…

"She certainly looks very happy and eager to train… and you came in under the same umbrella…" Genma said as he looked at Ranma-chan.

"Ummm… yeah… umm… she shared her umbrella with me…"

"Looks like you two are staring to get along a little better…" Genma then looks at Soün. "Right, Tendo?"

Soün nods his head and is about to say something when Kasumi comes walking down the stairs.

"Father, what would you like for dinner?" Kasumi then looks at Genma. "Any ideas, Mr. Saotome?"

"Well, umm…" Soün thinks about the question and tries to figure out what he has a taste on, Genma does the same thing.

"Since it's a big day for Akane tomorrow, I wanted to make something extra special tonight for dinner…" Kasumi said cheerfully.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Kasumi…" Soün said with a smile. Before Soün or Genma can make a dinner suggestion, however, Ranma-chan speaks up.

"How about you make some of Akane's favorite foods?" Ranma-chan said and then realized something important. 'What are her favorite foods?'

"That's a great idea Ranma… why don't you help me make dinner and you can see firsthand what foods Akane likes…" Kasumi said as she looked at Ranma-chan and smiled.

"Umm… sure… but let me change outta these wet clothes first…" Ranma-chan said after a moments thought. 'Looks like I'll find out what Akane likes…'

"I'll be in the kitchen…"

With that, Kasumi heads for the kitchen and starts to get ingredients out for the nights' dinner… Ranma-chan heads upstairs and changes, not even worrying about changing back to a male. Ranma-chan felt a slight twinge of excitement about this… and couldn't quite figure out why. Soün and Genma heard Akane come down the stairs a moment later and all three head over to the dojo to practice.

About two hours later, Ranma-chan steps into the dojo and announces that it's time for dinner. The three follow Ranma-chan back towards the house, Genma and Soün head inside while Akane and Ranma-chan stop for a moment. The sky grabs their attention- it has suddenly opened up, sending down warm sunlight towards the earth. "'Bout time that rain stopped…" Ranma-chan said as she stepped back into the house.

"You can say that again…" Akane said, noticing the blue sky.

Ranma-chan snickered at her. "'Bout time that rain stopped…"

Akane just rolls her eyes and is about to say something when Kasumi's voice is heard.

"Hurry up you two, your dinner is getting cold…"

Akane follows Ranma-chan inside and immediately her nose is overwhelmed by all of the delightful aromas wafting thru the air…

"This food smells so good!" Akane said, delighted by what she smelled and a few moments later, saw on the dinner table.

"It's about time the two love birds showed up…" Nabiki said, capitalizing on this opportunity to get a joke in.

Ranma-chan and Akane ignore Nabiki and sit down at the table. Genma starts wolfing down the food in front of him as everyone else has a sweat drop.

"What? It's good!" Genma said while still stuffing his face.

"Go on, Akane, have some…" Kasumi said while passing some food over to Akane.

Nabiki takes a few bites of the salad that's in front of her and makes a passing comment to Akane…

"At least there's no wooden chips in the salad…"

Akane glares at Nabiki and then remembers a promise she made to herself earlier not to get angry before the fight tomorrow. Her promise is tested yet again a moment later…

"You got that right…" Ranma-chan said in reply to Nabiki's comment.

"Rrrrrrannma!" Akane said as her battle aura started to form.

Soün notices the situation and decides to try and keep the peace…

"Good job on the salad, Kasumi"

"Ah, yes, it's very good, isn't it Tendo?" Genma said as he switched his attention to the untouched salad sitting in front of him.

Akane takes a look at the salad and takes a bite. "Mmm… this is good…"

Kasumi smiles and then nods her head. "But it wasn't me… Ranma made the salad"

Akane thinks to herself. 'Ranma made this? It's pretty good… and he made all this food with Kasumi… for me. Wait a second… he spent the last few hours with Kasumi!'

Ranma looks at Akane and prepares for a verbal and/or a mallet assault as her battle aura once again becomes visible.

Nabiki sees yet another opportunity to tease her sister. "Lover's quarrel?"

"Umm…" Is about all Ranma-chan can manage to say.

'Breath in Akane… you promised yourself…'

Ranma-chan watches as Akane starts taking deep breaths in an effort to calm herself down. Ranma-chan decides to take a risk and say something…

"But Akane… don't you like it… Kasumi said they were your favorites…I just wanted to…"

Suddenly all eyes are on Ranma-chan as she tries to finish one sentence. Nabiki thinks to herself… 'Hmm… this is definitely interesting. I wonder what Ranma is gonna say next…'

"Oh my! What a soap opera at the dinner table!" Kasumi said happily.

What's left of Akane's battle aura dissipates and she stares wide-eyed at Ranma-chan. Ranma had been much more open then usual today… and it has taken Akane by surprise.

"The boy just wanted to say how much he appreciates his fiancée fighting for him… right, Tendo?"

"Of course Saotome…"

Nabiki excuses herself from the table a moment later, she has plenty of work to do before tomorrow's battle- the betting pool for this fight was quite large. She also knows that Ranma and/or Akane might snap at their fathers. Things have been too quiet lately and things are about to get explosive- she doesn't want to be in the middle of it. Akane is still spaced out about all of the things that have been happening to her today… her attention is focused on Ranma and not on all of the things that Soun and Genma are saying.

Ranma-chan is also in a bind… this is a very uncomfortable situation. She doesn't know what to say or do… and she doesn't like -this- kind of attention.

"Hey stupid old man, quit puttin' words in my mouth!"

"Oh my worthless son… he doesn't know how to treat his fiancée… what a disappointment…"

Akane comes out of her stupor and inadvertently gets Ranma-chan out of the current fix that she's in…

"Thank you Ranma…" Akane said softly, it was the only thing she could say given the situation.

"Umm… no problem…" Ranma-chan said and then worked on what was left of her dinner. 'That was different… Akane thanked me for something…'

Genma and Soun, seeing how well Akane and Ranma are getting along, decide to celebrate.

"Let's go get some sake… it looks like our children are getting along… and when Akane wins tomorrow- everything will be perfect!" Genma said as he put a hand on Soun's shoulder.

"Good idea…" Soun said as he stood up. Both him and Genma excitedly leave the room and seek out the nearest bottle of sake to "celebrate"

"Oh my… I think I should start clearing the table and start on the dishes…" Kasumi said as she started to collect the now empty dishes left behind by her sister and their fathers. About a minute later, the table is clear and the sound of Kasumi humming to herself in the kitchen can be heard.

Sitting there at the table, thinking about Akane... Ranma-chan tries to get some words out. "Akane I… I…" She cannot finish her sentence and finally says… "GoodlucktomorrowIhopeyouwin…" After saying that, Ranma-chan jumps to her feet and runs upstairs to the bathroom. Akane is still sitting at the table; deep in thought about the last words that she thought Ranma said- I hope you win. She thinks about it for a while, and then heads upstairs for a quick shower and some down time before bed.

Thoughts of the day's events fill her mind… they make her that much more certain about what she is fighting for and why. She falls asleep thinking about the days events and mumbles one word… "Ranma"

To be continued in Part 3: The Japanese Waterloo

Next chapter should be up more quickly- I have extensive notes and outlines for the next several chapters of this story.


	3. Part 3: The Japanese Waterloo

Part 3: The Japanese Waterloo

Sorry about the delay with the writing of this chapter, real life has kept me quite busy. Thanks to fusionblaster, Ranma103, danny171984, and Tex for helping me with the prereading and their advice. You guys rock!

Since this chapter is so long… (13,000 words)… I will be breaking into subparts to make it easier for you, the reader. Enjoy and remember to please leave me a review if you have a few moments after you're done.

Part A: Morning

The morning of the big battle, Saturday… is here. Chirping birds fill the air with sound as Akane Tendo wakes up. She turns her head to look at the clock…

"Six o'clock? It's still early… but I can't go back to sleep…" Akane said as she rubbed her eyes.

Akane stretches her arms towards the ceiling and then looks at her hands. She can feel a new strength flowing through her body… all of that training has made her a much better martial artist. 'Will it be enough, though? Those other girls are quite strong… and quite determined to win Ranma…'

Akane gets out of bed and does some basic stretches to loosen her body up and prepare for the fight that lay ahead of her. As she wraps up her stretches, her eyes come across a framed picture that is hanging on her wall… the one taken back on Toma's floating island.

"Ranma… you said… that you wanted me to win yesterday and you made me dinner… do you really…" Akane's words stop as she realizes what she was about to say.

She continues to stare at the picture, trying to grasp her own feelings about this matter and thinking about all that has happened recently with Ranma. Her deep thoughts are interrupted a few moments later by a low grumbling noise…

'I guess I'd better get some breakfast… I don't think anyone's up yet… it'll give me time to think…'

Akane heads downstairs and goes into the kitchen. She's surprised to find Kasumi awake and making up a large breakfast.

"Good morning Akane"

"Good morning, sis… you're up early…"

"Well, I wanted to sent you off with a good meal. Why don't you sit down and relax while I finish making breakfast"

Akane nods her head and sits down at the table. She silently thinks about the fight and Ranma while Kasumi finishes breakfast. Nabiki is the first one downstairs, the collection of smells coming from the kitchen have wafted upstairs and wake her from her slumber.

"Mmm… smells good. Oh, Akane, you're up…" Nabiki said as she looked around the dining room.

"Good morning"

"Thinking about Ranma?" Nabiki said as she started her teasing early.

"Nabiki!" Akane said as a slight blush crept over her face.

Nabiki looks at the result of her comment and smiles. Despite her setting up a betting pool for this fight, she secretly wanted Akane to win. Keeping Ranma on her sisters' mind was one way for that to happen. Nabiki had a heart… sometimes.

Nabiki sits down next to her sister and decides to make some small talk with her as they wait for breakfast to be finished.

"You're up early…"

"Yeah… I couldn't sleep…" Akane said as she rubbed her stomach and hoped that the food would be ready soon.

"Are you ready for the battle today?" Nabiki asked as she started flipping thru a notebook that she had brought downstairs with her.

"Sure… I'll win for…" Akane stops speaking as she steals a glance of what Nabiki is looking at- a betting sheet which happens to have four names on it with odds below the names. "What the hell is that?"

Nabiki quickly closes the notebook and tries her best to sound innocent. "Oh, it's nothing… just a little enterprise for today, that's all…"

Akane's battle aura starts to glow and Nabiki realizes that she didn't believe a single word that she just said. Nabiki tries to calm her sister down.

"You know… you should save that energy for the battle today… wasting it on me would hurt your chances of being with Ranma…"

Akane continues to stare at her older sister and then slowly dissipates her battle aura. 'She's making money off of me and the other girls… typical Nabiki. If any opportunity for moneymaking comes up, she takes it. Even when it deals with me or Ranma…'

Akane decides to avoid trouble and takes a deep breath before speaking.

"You're right… I should save my energy. After all, I gotta win in order to get…" Akane once again feels a reflex action within her stopping the next words that she was planning to say. Nabiki decides to tease her some more and maybe get her to speak those words…

"In order to get what? Come on, sis, tell me…"

"To get…" Akane turned away from her sister as she blushed once again. 'Why can't she leave me alone? I may have feelings for him… but that's none of her business.'

Akane breathes a sigh of relief as Kasumi announces that breakfast will soon be ready. Akane watches as Kasumi heads upstairs to wake up the rest of the family. Nabiki decides to look over her bets for today and smiles. Profits for today are looking good…

A yawning Soun and Genma come downstairs first and sit down at the table. Both watch as Kasumi starts to place food down on the table.

"Looks good, Kasumi…" Soun said as he reached for a roll.

Nabiki looks around and realizes that someone is missing. Another opportunity has just presented itself.

"Where's Ranma? Akane here was looking for him…"

For the second time this morning, Akane let out a cry of "Nabiki!"

"Good morning" Ranma said as scratched his head and entered the room. He sits down next to Akane, as usual. Akane looks at him for a moment and then focuses her attention on eating her breakfast. Ranma did notice what she did but focuses on eating… like Akane, he is very hungry this morning.

Genma pauses from eating for a moment just enough to add his two cents to the current situation.

"Just think boy… after today, you won't have any fiancée problems… Akane here will be your one and only fiancée…"

"Good point, Tendo…" Soun said between bites of food.

Ranma and Akane take a glance at each other for a moment and then go back to eating. Both feel embarrassed about what Genma just said but have hope that he is right…

Over in another part of Nerima, Ukyo awakens from her slumber. She notices the sunlight pouring through her window and smiles…

'Today is going to be a good day, I can tell! I just wish I…'

A small wave of guilt passes over Ukyo. She had been meaning to get up the courage to talk to Ranma, to ask where his true feelings were at before the fight. In the end, however, she couldn't get herself to do it. As Ukyo goes downstairs and makes her own breakfast, she silently cursed her lack of courage.

"Whatever happens, I have to make sure that Ranma doesn't hate me afterwards… I…" Ukyo takes a deep breath. "I couldn't stand it if he hated me… he's my best friend…"

Ukyo silently walks over to the entrance door of the restaurant and cracks the door open a little. She flips the sign hanging on the outside of the door to read "Closed" and then closes the door. She returns to her breakfast and reviews the plan she had come up with a few days back at school.

'I just hope Ranma is sitting somewhere where I can observe his reactions…'

With that, Ukyo finishes up her breakfast and gets herself ready for the big battle…

Over at the Cat Café, Cologne is busy getting the place ready for business. Mousse has already gotten up and is doing the morning chores. Shampoo, however, is nowhere to be seen. After another half of an hour passes, Cologne begins to worry. Shampoo rarely sleeps in.

"Mousse, go upstairs and get Shampoo. It's getting late and she needs to get ready for today's battle…"

"Fine, fine…" Mousse grumbled to himself. Today was not going to be a good day for him. Shampoo could be lost to him forever… but there was nothing he could do. He had thought about setting some kind of trap on the field… to cause her to lose. If she found out, however, she would beat him and possibly kill him… the risk was too great.

Mousse goes upstairs and is surprised to see Shampoo's door wide open. He takes a deep breath and then walks into the room. Shampoo is relaxing on the bed and is holding a picture above her head.

"What you want?" Shampoo said, obviously annoyed by Mousse's entrance into her room.

"You're needed downstairs…"

"Shampoo be down in a moment… after looking at _airen_ some more…"

With that, Mousse turns around and heads back downstairs. He knows what picture she must be looking at… the one from Toma's island. 'I was the one who saved her there, not Ranma. Ranma saved Akane by destroying that spring. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't care about that girl…'

Cologne notices that a silent Mousse has returned to doing his chores. 'Shampoo must be up… he didn't look like that before going upstairs…' Cologne hopped upstairs on her stick and found Shampoo staring at a picture, just like Mousse had found her. She also notices that she is already dressed for today's battle, wearing a traditional pink Chinese dress.

(A/N: See the Ranma ½ SNES game or pictures of Shampoo from other sources to picture her at this point, most fans should have seen enough episodes to visualize her at this point)

"Thinking about Ranma?"

"Yes, great-grandmother… he so handsome in the picture…" Shampoo said happily.

"Just remember you have to win today, otherwise…" Cologne started to caution.

"I… know…" Shampoo suddenly became very serious. "Ranma would no longer be Shampoo's…"

"Yes. You are honor bound for this fight, and there's nothing I can do about it. I know you can win…" Cologne placed a hand on Shampoo's shoulder in an effort to reassure her before the up and coming battle.

"Let's eat some breakfast and then discuss today's fight…" Cologne turned around and started hopping out of the room on her stick.

"Okay…" Shampoo put the picture down on her bed and followed Cologne downstairs.

Kuno wakes up and finds out from Sasuke that his sister has already left the house. 'I wonder where she went? The match doesn't start for several hours…' With that, Kuno decides to do some kendo practice before the big fight. Kodachi had left early to get some practice in at her school… she wanted to be alone before heading off to battle.

Part B: The Battle

Time passes and soon it is noon. A group of people start to converge on Furinkan High School's open field… Nabiki and her friends are the first to arrive. One of her friends has a video camera with them… Nabiki had the idea of filming the fight for evidence that whoever wins did actually do it- a kind of insurance policy of sorts, available to the highest bidder, of course. More and more people come, mostly high school students who had heard about the fight via Nabiki's blatant advertisement of it in the school paper.

A flurry of black rose petals fill the air, announcing Kodachi's arrival. She is sporting a black gym suit and a pair of pink ribbons. She laughs to herself as she waits for the others to arrive. Ukyo is the next one to arrive, sporting her usual blue outfit and armament of spatulas. She looks around and is disappointed because Ranma has not yet arrived.

After closing the Cat Café, Cologne and Shampoo head over to the field. Mousse follows behind, his head sunk low. He is afraid of what will happen as a result of this fight, but at the same time must see what hand fate will deal out on the field. The three combatants that have arrived so far sit down separately from the others and eye each other, battle auras glowing. Nabiki takes the video camera and films a brief view of the three girls… she mumbles something to herself…

"Scary…"

Nabiki turns around and begins to walk back towards her fellow students when she suddenly feels a tap on her shoulder. She jumps in the air as a result of the sudden surprise.

"Gotcha…"

Nabiki turns around and looks at the troublemaker. "Oh, it's only you, Ranma…"

"I heard what you said… and you're right. This is gonna be one scary battle…" Ranma's voice lowers. "For both of us…"

Nabiki instantly knew what Ranma meant by "us"… he was referring to Akane. "Well, I'd better get back to work… you should sit down here and wait for Akane…"

Ranma sits down on the ground and looks around. This field would decide his fate he thought to himself. 'I wonder where Akane and the others are?'

A few minutes later, Akane appears in the distance. She is sporting her white gi and walking very confidently. The rest of the Tendo's and Saotome's are following behind her, excited but also nervous about this fight.

Akane notices Ranma first and gives him a quick glance. He nods his head and then Akane walks over towards the other girls. Three pairs of eyes lock on to her as she gets closer. Akane tries not to show any visible fear as she focuses on the battle, her battle aura forming around her. 'I won't let these three intimidate me… I can't give them any advantage!'

As the four combatants wait for the start signal, Genma and Soun pick a good spot to view the battle from. Kasumi spreads a blanket on the ground and unpacks a picnic lunch for the grateful Soun and Genma. As she passes out the sandwiches, she notices a familiar person is moving towards them.

"Oh my, it's…"

Nabiki, who has walked over to snag a sandwich, finishes Kasumi's sentence. "It's Ranma's mother…"

Genma laughs out loud. "Oh no, you're not fooling me this time, I know about you, Nabiki Tendo…"

"Fine, don't believe me…" Nabiki said as she hurriedly walked away. 'I have to get that video camera back… I know that it'll be worth it to film what will happen when Genma sees his wife…'

About a minute later, Nodoka arrives at where Genma and the others are sitting and taps Genma on the shoulder. Kasumi says "Hello" and Soun almost drops his sandwich…

"Saotome… l-look behind you…" Soun said, very afraid for his friend.

"What's got you so worked up? It's not like…" Genma stops speaking as Nodoka sits down next to him. His body quakes with fear… "Umm… hello dear… nice to umm… see you again…"

"Where have you been, Genma? I stopped receiving letters from you a while back… and I was wondering how Ranma is doing. On my way over here, I heard something about a fight…"

"Well, umm… you see…" Genma said, still nervous about his wife's sudden appearance before him.

Kasumi decides to speak up. "That's right, Auntie Nodoka. My sister and three others are fighting today… fighting over who gets to be with Ranma…"

"My Ranma?" Nodoka said, surprised at the words she just heard.

Soun clears his throat. "Yes… my daughter is hoping to win today… and we're here to cheer her on…"

'But where is my son?' Nodoka thought as Soun was speaking. A moment later, a black pigtail comes into her eye's view and she stands up.

"I'll be right back… don't go anywhere, Genma. We have a lot to talk about…"

Genma gulps as his wife walks away.

"I guess Nabiki was right… she was coming…" Genma said as he put his hand on his forehead.

"I do hope that she doesn't carry out that agreement…" Soun said as he watched Nodoka approach Ranma.

"I hope not either… who knows what'll happen now…"

A meditating Ranma senses someone approaching but chooses to ignore it, focusing his thoughts on the possible outcomes of today's match. In his mind, only one would make him happy… at least, as far as he knew happiness. Most of his life had been nothing but hardship and unhappiness…

Ranma hears a voice whisper in his ear.

"Wake up my son…"

"Huh?" A very startled Ranma looks behind him… and finds a very familiar face smiling back at him. "Mom?"

Before he can do anything else, Ranma finds himself enclosed in a very tight hug.

"It's uh… good to see you too…" Ranma said, not quite comfortable with this showing of affection. Nodoka notices his reaction and makes a mental note to ask him about it later.

"I'm so happy to see you again! I just heard that my boy has FOUR girls fighting over him today… that is so MANLY!" Nodoka exclaimed loudly, embarrassing Ranma to no end. He didn't like to be the center of attention, at least about things like this.

"Umm… yeah… four girls…"

Nodoka let go of her son and looked at him. 'Why isn't he happy about this? Something must be wrong…'

"What's wrong, Ranma?" Nodoka said softly in an attempt to get her son to open up to her. She needed to know what was going on here, among other things…

"Well…" That was all Ranma could say, he didn't know where to start.

"Let's start from the beginning… why are they fighting over you?"

Ranma takes a deep breath before starting his explanation. "It's because of my big mouth… they wanted to decide who was the 'true' fiancee… and agreed to this fight. I don't want to see any of them get hurt, not even Kodachi…" Ranma sighed aloud.

Nodoka could see that her son was sorry about what happened and worried about the girls. She noticed that his eyes would occasionally look over towards the four girls… and at one in particular. 'He must want her to win… I can feel it…'

Ranma is about to make another comment to his mother when Nabiki's voice comes booming from a nearby speaker, set up just for this occasion.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls… it's time for the main event. Who will end up victorious and be Ranma Saotome's one and only fiancée? We'll find out in a moment!" Nabiki turns and looks at the four girls. "Ladies, take your positions!"

The four girls get up and spread out, each one eyeing the other three cautiously. Nodoka motions Ranma to stand up and follow her, the two head over to sit down next to Genma. He had been watching the interaction between Ranma and his wife… and was glad that nothing had happened.

Two stragglers approach the field, talking amongst themselves…

"It looks like the match is about to start…" Ryoga said to Kuno as he observed the girls fanning out and getting ready to begin.

"Your asking for help nearly made us late… I must witness the result of this battle… so I know which girl to pursue…" Kuno said, trying to calculate his opinions in his head.

Nabiki's voice is heard once again over the speaker. "The fiancée battle starts… NOW!"

As if by cue, the four girls start to head back towards each other, but now it was time to fight… to fight for pride, honor, and most of all, fight for Ranma.

Shampoo is the first one to strike, going after Akane with her bonbori's. The two exchange blows, Shampoo wants to punish Akane for keeping Ranma away from her. Akane is not surprised that Shampoo went after her first… and she does her best to counteract Shampoo's attacks. A short distance away, Ukyo engages the other available opponent, Kodachi Kuno.

"You won't take my Ran-chan, Kodachi…"

"Hohohohoho… you really think I'm scared of you? Prepare to be defeated!" With that, Kodachi let a storm of black petals loose in the air, blinding Ukyo momentarily. A pink ribbon wraps around Ukyo's left arm and she is pulled to the ground.

"You'll pay for that!" Ukyo yelled defiantly as she tried to cut the ribbon with her spatula. Kodachi quickly turned her sights over to the other fight and quickly launched an attack towards the other two fighters.

Akane feels something wrap around her right arm a moment later. She tries to free her arm to no avail. Shampoo notices this and moves in to strike Akane's tangled arm…

"Kitchen-destroyer no get _airen_! Ranma will be Shampoo's!"

Shampoo makes a slash at Akane's arm with her bonbori… and misses. Kodachi had pulled on the ribbon a moment before, pulling Akane towards her. Akane does a roundhouse kick and knocks Shampoo off balance. Kodachi pulls out a bowling pin with nails on it and throws it at Akane…

The crowd begins to wince at the sights they are beholding. This fight was beginning to get ugly… and it had only started about a minute ago.

"Akane!" Soun cried out as the bowling pin missed his daughter by mere millimeters…

"Looks like we got some close combat here, folks!" Nabiki said over the loudspeaker. "Who will win?"

Shampoo hops back to her feet and positions herself just right… the clanking of metal is heard as she blocks a blow from Ukyo's huge spatula with her bonbori's…

"Go back to China! Ranma's mine!" Ukyo said as she struggled to get more leverage against Shampoo.

"Shampoo not going anywhere!" Shampoo said back angrily. Both girls' battle auras flared like they never had before. Fortunately for them, Akane was fighting Kodachi, otherwise, they would have been struck in the back…

"Ranma-sama will be all mine! Hohohohohoho!" Kodachi launched another attack, using a hoop with spikes on it. Akane had just managed to free her arm from the ribbon a moment before… but the hoop grazed her shoulder, causing a red spot to appear on her gi. "Oohs" are heard from the crowd… blood was being shed. Even Nabiki winced at the sight of her now injured sister cursing at Kodachi. Ranma could feel his anger building with each passing moment. 'She hurt Akane… I hope it's not bad…'

'Damn it! My shoulder… ouch!' Akane winced as she felt another one of those blasted rings heading towards her. She jumped out of the way and landed on the ground near Ukyo and Shampoo. Kodachi launches another hoop at Akane. Shampoo notices the hoop heading her way and deflects it with one her bonbori. She jumps at Kodachi and prepares to launch one of her recently learned attacks. Ukyo notices Akane on the ground and prepares to attack her when she looks over at the crowd. She can barely see Ranma… but his expression is clear. 'I'm sorry, Akane, but I must keep fighting… or at least look like I'm fighting…'

"Prepare to taste defeat!" Ukyo said as she prepared one of her special weapons that she had yet to use.

'Oh no…' Akane thought to herself, expecting the worst. She tried to get up in time and notices an Okonomiyaki in Ukyo's hands…

Ukyo throws the Okonomiyaki like a Frisbee at Akane… it hits her and explodes into a cloud of smoke. As Akane is rubbing her eyes, she realizes that it only looked like an Okonomiyaki… 'Even Ukyo has some new tricks…' Akane feels the air around her move as Ukyo attempts to hit her through the dense cloud of smoke…

Akane's saving grace is a cool, west wind… it begins to thin out the cloud as she prepares a counterattack. The ground suddenly begins to shake… the girls and the spectators are afraid. Cries of "Earthquake!" are everywhere…

The ground beneath the girls suddenly gives way and the four fall about two feet and are confused. Out of nowhere, multiple plumes of smoke appear and cloud the fighting area. All of the girls begin to cough and then pass out moments later. An unseen figure hops into the cloud and back out within twenty seconds… and runs off with a small sack…

"What the heck is going on here? Was that some kinda trap?" Soun exclaimed, getting more worried about his daughter every moment.

"No idea, Tendo… maybe we should go check it out…" Genma quickly replied.

"Well, looks like something happened… and the smoke is beginning to clear…" Nabiki said as she surveyed the field. She gasps aloud a moment later, caught unawares by the sight now before her eyes. "I think we have a… draw…"

The phrase "A draw?" is heard multiple times from the crowd. Ranma doesn't believe what he just heard and starts walking towards the girls… Genma, Nodoka, and Soun are right behind him. Cologne is also confused about what just happened and hops over towards the girls with Mousse following right behind her. Kuno and Ryoga are just plain stunned about what they just heard.

"A draw? How could that be?" Kuno wondered out loud.

Ranma is the first to reach the hole… and he finds all four girls on the ground, unconscious. He kneels down next to Akane and shakes, trying to wake her up. After that fails, he does the same to each of the other girls… nothing happens. Soun starts his trademarked "Tendo Water Works" as he talks about his daughter…

"Calm down, Tendo, I'm sure they're okay…" Genma said to the very emotional Soun.

"What happened to these girls? All I saw was smoke…" Nodoka commented to herself.

Cologne hops up to the girls and starts looking at them closely. "Hmmm… this look… on their faces… it looks familiar somehow…"

Mousse was the next one to comment. "You know why they aren't waking up?"

"Perhaps…"

A glimmer of hope started to run through everyone present. 'Maybe Cologne could help the girls?'… was the common though passing through the minds of those present. Nabiki arrives a moment later and gets a closer look at what happened.

"Oh my goodness… what the hell happened here?"

"I'm not sure yet… but one thing is certain…" Cologne stopped speaking as the sound of rumbling was heard in the distance. "We should bring these four somewhere where we can treat them… it will rain soon…"

More then anyone present, Genma realizes what that would mean… his secret would be revealed in front of his wife if he got caught in the rain. Ranma would be in danger as well… 'Who knows what Nodoka would do if she found us out… I gotta keep the secret from her…'

"Tendo, why don't we take them back to your place…" Genma said as the clouds began to darken and the wind began to pick up. Soun could sense the urgency in his friend's voice…

"Sure…"

Genma looks at Ranma. "Boy, you carry Akane back… and I'll take Ukyo. We don't have much time…" Ranma didn't argue, he knew what was coming and realized why his father was being so urgent about this. The rumbling noise gets closer as the rain clouds start to gather. Cologne turns and looks at Mousse.

"You take Shampoo… time is of the essence…"

One look up at the sky was enough for Mousse, he didn't want to become a duck… and didn't want Shampoo to get wet either. The three "carriers" picked up the girls when Nodoka realizes that no one got Kodachi.

"Who will pick up this young lady here?"

"I will take my sister…" Kuno said as he walked up to the crowd that was gathered around the hole. He picked up his sister and the group starts to head back towards the Tendo house. Kasumi runs ahead to prepare the room for the girls' arrival. The crowd of students and onlookers look at the four girls as they are carried by and wonder what happened. Nabiki has no answer for them; she doesn't have a clue about what happened.

"Calm down now… I'm sure they'll be all right…" With some sadness, Nabiki speaks again. "All money will be returned… there was no option for a draw…"

As a line of students line up to get their money back, Nabiki takes a glance towards her house and wonders if Akane will be all right. She notices that Ryoga has started walking that way… and wonders if he'll actually get there without getting lost.

Part C: Sleeping/The Cure

A short while later, the group carrying the young female combatants arrive at the Tendo house. A very concerned Kasumi is waiting for them at the entrance to the house.

"I called Dr. Tofu… he is on his way…"

"Thank you, Kasumi… where are we putting the girls?" Soun said as the rain began to fall outside. They had made it with just seconds to spare. Ranma and Genma take a deep breath and think… 'That was close!' Mousse has a similar thought as well…

"Follow me…" Kasumi said as she walked down the hallway, the others following close behind her. They soon reach the room and the four girls are placed on the futons. Kasumi gets right to work, trying to wake them up with smelling salts, pungent herbs, and other methods. As she is doing this, Cologne starts to remember more about the condition that may be afflicting the girls at the moment.

"I'm here… sorry I took so long. That storm was pretty bad…" Dr. Tofu said as he walked into the room. A moment later, Ryoga appears right behind him.

"They still aren't up?" Ryoga said with concern in his voice, worried about the girls, especially Akane.

Kasumi spoke up next. "I tried smelling salts and a few other things… nothing worked…"

"Oh…" Ryoga lowered his head sadly.

Unfortunately for the other, Dr. Tofu immediately starts to get goofy after hearing Kasumi speak. The urgency of the situation had kept him sane for a little while, but the joy of seeing Kasumi soon overwhelmed him. He started talking to the wall, thinking it was Kasumi. Ranma mumbled something about being doomed now… and Cologne just shook her head.

Nodoka looks around at all of the chaos and didn't realize that this was an everyday occurrence… she remembers that Cologne had mentioned something about knowing what was going on earlier and decides to try and bring attention back to the situation at hand.

"Elder, you mentioned knowing something about the situation…" Nodoka said with much respect. Cologne immediately noticed this, since most of the others present use less… appropriate terms for her.

"Yes… I have seen this condition once or twice before. It is called "Sleeping Beauty Sickness"…

"Oh's" fill the room… Soun starts to feel some genuine hope… 'Maybe she knows how to awaken my girl and the others…'

Ranma snaps his fingers. "Isn't that some kinda story… it kinda sounds familiar…"

"Yes Ranma… it's a fairy tale in which…" Kasumi stops speaking as Dr. Tofu hits a wall and falls backwards. His antics were getting to her, despite her almost infinite patience. Her sister and the others were sick and most certainly could use his help… he was very knowledgeable about many obscure things… and this certainly didn't sound like an everyday sickness…

"Dr. Tofu, snap out of it!" Kasumi said urgently as she picked up Dr. Tofu. He started to come around and saw her face… and began to get goofy again. Kasumi started to take deep breaths in an effort to control herself- Akane was in trouble and this was no time to play around. All eyes were on Kasumi after her first statement… Soun was especially shocked by his daughter's words. His jaw drops to the ground a moment later as Kasumi suddenly loses her temper and in an "un-Kasumi-like" move, slaps Dr. Tofu.

"Get serious Doctor! I need you to check on my sister and the others to make sure that they are all right. You have to find a way to wake them up!"

"Woah…" was about all Ranma could manage to say. Genma was equally surprised- even Kuno and Ryoga were shocked. They had met Kasumi enough times to realize what kind of person she was… and this was definitely not in character for her.

A very shocked Dr. Tofu touches his stinging cheek and looks at Kasumi. He has never seen her like this… like the others; he is very surprised about what just happened. 'She slapped me… but why? I…' He suddenly remembers what he was doing just a moment ago. 'I was being goofy… at the time when Kasumi needed me the most…' He lowers his head and starts softly saying to himself- "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Kasumi's anger goes away almost right away. She starts to speak softly to Dr. Tofu. "I'm sorry, but the girls need your expertise… can you help them? Elder Cologne says it may be something called 'Sleeping Beauty Sickness'…"

"Ah… I haven't seen a case of that personally, but I have heard of it…" Dr. Tofu said as he walked over to the sleeping girls and examined them, checking their eyes, facial expressions, and breath patterns. "Yep, the diagnosis was correct, this is most definitely 'Sleeping Beauty Sickness'…"

"I have my suspicions about how this could have happened… but I cannot prove anything. I must talk to the Doctor here for a moment, please excuse me…" With that, Cologne leaves the room with Dr. Tofu right behind her. This gives the others in the room a few moments to reflect on the current situation.

"I do hope they can cure my little girl!" Soun said, holding back tears. He looked down at his daughter and noticed the peaceful expression on her face. He takes her hand and holds it for a moment. 'Hang in there, Akane… we're all here for you…'

"This is indeed a mysterious illness…" Kuno commented to no one in particular.

"Indeed" Genma said as he scratched his chin, trying to think of who or what could have done all of this. One person immediately comes to mind… but he hasn't been around for quite sometime…

Time seems to pass very slowly… after what seems like forever, Cologne and Dr. Tofu come back inside the room.

"We've talked about the symptoms… and come to the conclusion that the four young women are afflicted by this 'Sleeping Beauty Sickness'… Elder Cologne and I know how to treat it as well…"

"Thank goodness! My girl will be okay!" Soun said as tears starting flowing down his face.

"Pardon me for asking, but how will you wake the girls up?" Ryoga asked, curious about the method that had to be used.

"There are two steps to the process. One involves getting a special herb and making a paste out of it. That I can do, once I get the herb. The other part involves…" Cologne pauses and looks at Ranma, Dr. Tofu does the same thing. Ranma feels very uncomfortable with this sudden staring.

"Let's worry about part two later. I need someone to get the herb…" Dr. Tofu said as he sensed Ranma's uneasiness.

"I'll get the herb!" Ryoga said, volunteering immediately.

"I shall go as well, I know of your 'reputation' for getting lost…" Kuno chimed in a moment later. Cologne tells him what herb and what quantity of it to get. Ryoga was silent after that last comment, but couldn't hold back a response for long.

"What do you mean, reputation? At least I'm not after two girls at once, you cad!"

Ranma starts pushing them towards the door… "You two better get going… hurry back, okay?"

The two arguing teens are pushed out of the room by Ranma, who closes the door. The two continue to argue and finally Ranma has heard enough. "Damn it you two, go get that herb!" Ranma immediately notices the sudden silence and the sound of footsteps heading away from where he is at. Ranma turns around and finds the remaining group people all staring at him… 'Damn… all of this fiancée stuff is really stressing me out here…'

"Wow, my son is such a MAN, worrying about these girls so much!" Nodoka exclaimed as she looked at her son and smiled.

Genma is glad that Ranma has been doing what he's been doing, so far his wife seems to be very happy with Ranma and his manliness. 'I hope Ranma can keep this up…'

A knocking is heard on the door a moment later, Ranma opens the door and finds Nabiki standing there. She steps inside and looks at the four sleeping girls…

"No change, huh? You guys ever figure out what's wrong with these four?"

Ranma closes the door and then sits down next to his parents. "They have something called 'Sleeping Beauty Sickness'…"

"Oh!" Nabiki exclaimed. "Just like the fairy tale!"

Ranma looks at Dr. Tofu and Cologne, who have been silent for the past minute or so. "You said there was a second part to the treatment, what is it?"

"Wasn't Sleeping Beauty awaken by a kiss from a prince?" Nabiki said to herself as she mentally reviewed the tale.

"Uh-huh…" Dr. Tofu said as he nodded his head.

"Why I am getting a bad feeling about this?" Ranma said to no one in particular.

"Son-in-law… only your kiss can work. You are the only one to have a real connection with the four women. You are there Prince Charming, as it were…" Cologne said with a chuckle at the end.

"Oh that's just great... so when's the lighting going to strike me…" Ranma said with much sarcasm.

Nodoka had the opposite reaction about that announcement. "Ranma, you get to kiss all these lovely young ladies… you get to be real MANLY here…"

Ranma just shakes his head. "Mom, you don't get it…"

Nodoka wanted an explanation. "You mentioned something to me earlier… you were going tell me something?"

Genma cringes after that statement. Ranma, however, decides to fill in his mother on current events, sans the curse that he and his father have. She thinks about it for over a minute and then look at both Genma and Ranma.

"Genma, you and I will definitely have to talk later… and Ranma… I'm sorry you got tangled up in all of this. From the looks of it, your father is responsible for two of your four fiancées…"

Ranma looks at his father and sees that he's sweating profusely. 'He should sweat… he got me tangled up in this and set up this situation. It would have been nice to get to know these girls without the pressure of being engaged to them… especially Akane…'

Nabiki looks at Ranma and wonders what he's thinking about… he's looking serious and looking in Akane's general direction. Genma is saved from more crucifying by the return of Kuno and Ryoga with the medicinal herb.

"I do hope that this herb can help my sister and the others…" Kuno said as he handed the herb to Cologne.

"Kasumi, can you get me a bowl, a pestle, and some water…" Dr. Tofu said with a smile.

Kasumi smiled back, glad that Dr. Tofu was keeping it together. "Sure, I'll be right back…"

While Kasumi is getting the supplies from the kitchen, Kuno asks about part two of the cure. "What is the second part of the cure?"

"The girls must be kissed… by a male they have a connection to…" Dr. Tofu explained.

Both Ryoga and Kuno's eyes light up… and Mousse's does as well. He liked this version of the second part of the cure better then what Cologne had said… thinking that she had deliberately skewed her words to favor Ranma. All three males eagerly await Kasumi's return.

Soun, trying to get his mind off of other things, decides to inquire further about the herb and what it'll do. "How is this medicine prepared?"

"Oh, it's quite simple. We grind up the herb and make a paste… and then spread the paste on the lips and a small bit on the neck. Once the girl is kissed she should awaken right away…" Cologne said as she looked in Ranma's general direction… which makes him start to sweat…

Ranma is relieved to see Kasumi walk in a moment later with the necessary tools for the cure. Dr. Tofu starts breaking the herb up and passes it to Cologne, who grinds it and adds a little water to the bowl. Soon, all of the herb is broken up and the paste is ready. With lightning fast speed, Cologne hops over to the girls and spreads the paste on the appropriate places…

"Go ahead, Ranma… do what must be done…" Cologne said as she tried to urge Ranma on.

"But are you sure I'm the only one, I mean…" Ranma fumbled for another excuse as all eyes fixate on him… except for Ryoga and Kuno. Kuno decides to make a move before Ranma can do anything… but Ranma notices what he is doing and quickly punches Kuno in the face, knocking him backwards. After Ranma punches Kuno the pig tailed martial artist races over, grabs him by the front of his clothes and tells him to never try that again... Ryoga seizes the moment and places a kiss on Akane's lips.

"I can't turn my back for one second..." yelled Ranma as he clobbered Ryoga with a swift punch to the face. Ryoga quickly recovers and the two begin to fight with each other. Kuno watches what is going on and takes this chance to place a kiss on Akane's lips...

"Alas, now it is my turn to express my deep feelings and kiss thy lovely lips. Awake dear maiden, with a kiss of my love" Kuno spoke to sleeping Akane. Kuno takes one last glance around to make sure Ranma is still occupied and then places a tender kiss on Akane's lips.

Kuno slowly draws back and waits for something to happen. Cologne also watches, trying to determine if the herbs are working. After about fifteen seconds... nothing happens. Ranma stops fighting with Ryoga when he notices Cologne staring intently at Akane.

"My lips did not awaken thee..." Kuno says in disappointment. Ryoga also realizes at this moment that his kiss didn't work either. "Try that again and I will hurt you a lot more..." Ranma says to Kuno as he hits him once again. Mousse, who has been rather quiet, moves a few steps over from where he is standing and then pauses for a moment. He has been waiting for a chance to express his feelings for Shampoo and kiss her lips and now that moment is here. Slowly his lips move down and then reach Shampoo's. The moment seems to last forever in Mousse's mind... at least until he felt Ranma pull back on his shirt and drag him to the ground.

"Geez, you guys are all the same..." mumbled Ranma as he shook his head. Cologne, noticing that Shampoo had not woken up at this point either, decides to inform Ranma of his duty. "Ranma, my dear, it is your turn" she spoke with a measure of seriousness and amusement due to Ranma's current situation.

"Huh?" was all the reply that Ranma was able to make. "What do you mean? There has to be some other way!"

Cologne shakes her head and then speaks. "No son-in-law, only your kiss can work. You are the only one to have a real connection with the four women."

Ranma, after being presented with that evidence from Cologne, resigns himself to his fate. He feels uncomfortable, but it seems there is no other way to help out the sleeping women but to kiss them. He is silent for a few moments… and then Cologne speaks again.

"Go on, you are the only one who can possibly awaken these sleeping souls..."

Ranma begins to look at the four sleeping women- trying to decide which girl he wants to kiss first. The Tendo family and his parents start staring at Ranma. He can tell by their looks that they want him to kiss Akane first. Cologne also makes a suggestion and says… "Why don't you start with my great-granddaughter?" Kuno joins the fray next by stating… "My hopes rest with thee, that you may be able awaken my sister from her slumber"

Ranma looks down at the four girls and then has a sweatdrop- he hasn't really kissed anyone before. He looks around and realizes that everyone is staring at him. The pressure is too much for him to handle and he realizes that he needs to be alone to do this...

"Would everyone please leave so I can do this... um..."

Nodoka speaks up next, realizing leaving Ranma alone is in everyone's best interests. "Let's give the boy some time alone here, I'm sure it'll all work out and the girls will be awake in no time" She likes the idea of him being the one that wakes up all of the girls, it makes him seem really manly.

"Good idea, dear…" Genma said, trying to save as much face as possible.

"I think you and I need to talk alone somewhere while Ranma does this…" Nodoka says as Genma cringes in fear, afraid that she'll gut him with her trusty kitana. Kuno and Ryoga head out of the room first, followed by Cologne and Soun. Nodoka gives her son a reassuring touch on the shoulder before leaving to have a good "talk" with Genma. Nabiki is the next to leave… she has a parting comment for Ranma.

"Go get 'em, tiger!"

"Damn you, Nabiki!" was Ranma's immediate response.

Nabiki waves at Ranma as she leaves the room, adding to his anger. Dr. Tofu is the last to leave; he wants to talk with Ranma alone for a moment.

"Take your time, Ranma… there is no rush. They will wake up and be all right…" Ranma nods after Dr. Tofu's comment.

"Oh… one more thing… you should treat Akane's wound. Kasumi left some bandages and there's some water to clean it with. Good luck!"

Part D: Ranma's Decision(s)

With that, Dr. Tofu leaves the room and closes the door. The silence overcomes Ranma and he stands up and starts pacing around the room nervously…

'Why me? My life never has a boring moment it seems…' Ranma looked down at the girls and then had to make a tough call. 'Who do I kiss first? Whoever I kiss second, third, and fourth may be jealous of the first one… this sucks…'

After a few minutes of deliberation, Ranma comes to a few conclusions. He decides to kiss Akane last… not because he hates her or anything… but so he can treat her wound and not have to worry about anyone capitalizing on her wound. But who would be first? 'Maybe Uc-chan should be first…'

Ranma nervously sits down next to Ukyo and looks at her for a few moments before speaking softly to himself. "I'm sorry that all of this happened... all of the fights and everything else that is going on... I'm sorry- especially about what happened in the past. I have always thought of you as a friend, my best friend..." With that now off of his chest, he takes a deep breath. 'Here goes nothing…' he thinks before kissing Ukyo. Their lips meet and then Ranma pulls away, blushing intensely.

Ukyo's eyes flutter and then open completely and she is surprised to see the ceiling of the Tendo dojo above her. A warm feeling seems to linger on her lips as well as an unfamiliar smell. She strains her mind, thinking about her last memories… all she can remember is getting hit by some dust and then falling asleep. She flutters her eyes and then turns her head to talk to Ranma...

"Ranma-honey... what happened?"

"Well, umm... all of the girls got hit by something and you all fell asleep. Dr. Tofu and Cologne figured out how to wake all of you up again..." Ranma suddenly blushed and become nervous. Ukyo notices his reaction and becomes really curious about how she was able to woken up.

"Ranma, please tell me how you were able to wake me up..." Ukyo said softly in an effort to get Ranma to speak. A very red Ranma begins to mumble a response. "Well, we had to put some herbal paste on your neck, face, and a little on your lips."

"That would explain this weird taste on my lips, but I wonder why my lips feel so warm..."

"That's because of the other part of the cure... I had to..." Ranma pauses and wipes his brow, which now has some sweat on it. Ukyo is very curious by this point in his explanation… she knows that his behavior indicates that he is hiding something from her. She puts on her cutest face and asks him to go on. "Please, Ran-chan… tell me what you did…"

'Why it'd have to be the pout? She knows me too well… and I can't keep this from her. She'll find out if I don't tell her… probably from Nabiki knowing my luck…' Ranma takes a deep breath and then tells Ukyo what she needs to know. "I... I... k... kissed you…"

Ukyo looks at Ranma and realizes why he had been blushing so much. She sits up and then smiles at Ranma. She starts to think to herself... 'He does care for me, he kissed me... I wish I could have felt it...'

"Ranma... thank you. Who knows how long I could have been sleeping unless you woke me up." A feeling of happiness overwhelms Ukyo and she expresses her feelings by pulling Ranma into a close hug. Ranma has a sweat drop… he is very glad that no one else is awake to see this- some of his other fiancées would have a fit for sure if they saw this...

"It was nothing, Uc-chan..." Ranma said as he looked into her eyes. Ukyo looks at him silently for a moment. Ranma is worried about what she will say next... and is relieved when he hears what she says next...

"Thank you, Ranma-honey. I owe you one."

Ukyo stands up and looks down at the other three sleeping girls. She starts to walk towards the door and then turns around to speak to Ranma...

"Ranma, tell everyone that I'm okay and that I went home, okay? It's been one hell of a day..."

"Sure, no problem. See yah later."

After Ukyo leaves, Ranma breathes a sigh of relief. 'One done, three to go… who's next?'

A few moments later, he comes to the decision that kissing Kodachi next would be okay- 'I might as well get it over and done with. The sooner the better with her…' He takes a few deep breaths and then places a kiss on her lips. She awakens rather slowly and then turns her head to look around. Upon spotting Ranma, she smiles and pulls him into a hug and rubs her body against him. Ranma quickly pushes her away and then tries to explain what happened...

"What's the last thing you remember, Kodachi?

"I was going to launch an attack with my ribbon when I suddenly fell asleep and then I woke up here..."

Kodachi looks around and doesn't immediately recognize her surroundings. Ranma notices her confusion and explains to her what happened on the field a short while ago…

"You fell asleep with the other girls out there on the field, Dr. Tofu and Cologne figured out what was wrong with you guys and found a way to wake you up."

"That explains the smell- I can smell the herbs..." she muttered as she rubbed her neck. "I can even taste the stuff on my lips..."

With that, Ranma's face turned a bright red. Kodachi knew something was up and decided to press the issue with Ranma...

"Why are you blushing like that? It's not like you..."

Kodachi stopped as she suddenly realized where the warm feeling on her lips had come from. "You did kiss me, didn't you?" Ranma slowly nods his head, confirming her statement- even though he does not want to. Ranma watches as Kodachi jumps out of the futon and right into his arms. She immediately pins him to ground and lowers herself down on top of him. "Ranma-sama… that was so nice of you… I really appreciate the fact that you cared enough to wake me up…"

Ranma, on the other hand, is not enjoying this sudden show of affection on her part. He is grateful that she is awake and that this will get Kuno off his back, but this reminds him too much of what Shampoo does to him. After Ranma pushes her away, she notices that something is missing...

"You said that all of us were knocked out... where's Ukyo?"

Ranma can only mumble a response, he doesn't want to provoke Kodachi any further. "She... umm... you see... I woke her up first..."

"You kissed her FIRST? Were my lips not good enough to be the first to be kissed?"

"Well, no... that's not it..." Ranma said as he backed away from Kodachi.

Kodachi looks around and stares at the sleeping Shampoo and Akane. She has a wicked idea and starts to move towards them. Ranma immediately notices and asks what she is doing. Ranma knows that glint in her eye is not a good sign...

"Hey! Step back from Akane and Shampoo!"

"I am going eliminate two of my rivals right now, before you can wake them up. It's bad enough that you already kissed Ukyo, but I won't let you kiss these two peons!"

"Kodachi, I won't let you harm either of them. If you hurt them, I'll never forgive you!"

Ranma takes up a fighting posture and awaits Kodachi's reply. He hopes that she realizes that he is VERY serious about what he just said and that she will back off. Kodachi tries to reason with him as a countermove...

"Ranma-sama, you don't need to protect those of lesser status... you know that you are just perfect for me..."

With that comment, Kodachi starts to engage in her trademark laugh... and Ranma gets even angrier with her. He replies coldly...

"Kodachi Kuno, you are not going to harm either one of them... do you hear me?"

"Why not?"

"Because... because I... I care about them." Ranma blushed slightly after saying that.

"Hmmph. Fine, be that way. I'll just have to beat all three of them in combat then. That'll show you that I am serious about you, Ranma-sama…"

Kodachi heads for the door and then leaves, closing it behind her. Ranma breathes a sigh of relief, grateful that she woke up and is now out of his hair... for now. He looks down at the two sleeping women and thinks to himself... 'Two down, two to go. I guess Shampoo's next…'

His mind now set, he sits down next to Shampoo and prepares to kiss her. He realizes the irony of the situation... she was the one who was always trying to kiss him- and he has to kiss her to awaken her from her sleep.

After taking a deep breath, he places a kiss on Shampoo's lips and returns to his sitting position next to her. Shampoo slowly awakens and then turns her head to the side. The moment she sees Ranma, a smile forms on her face and she jumps on top of him and pins him to the ground. Ranma has a feeling of déjà vu…

"Shampoo happy to see Ranma"

"I uh... can see that. Would you calm down and listen to me for a moment?" Ranma said as he tried not to stare at the Amazon's ample bosom that was being pressed again him repeatedly…

Shampoo stops and looks at Ranma, the urgency in his voice brings her back to reality. She flashes him another smile...

"Go on, Ranma... tell Shampoo what you need to say..."

"You and the other girls were knocked out by some kind of sleeping powder, that's why you're here..."

"Okay... Shampoo was wondering why she was in your house." She looks at Ranma, can tell that he needs to say more, and is holding back something. She puts on a cute/sexy face and then speaks softly to Ranma.

"Tell me more, Ranma..."

Ranma, with some slight hesitation, tells her about what he did to wake her up. "You see Shampoo, I had to k... kiss you to wake you. That's why Ukyo and Kodachi aren't here..."

Shampoo is happy about the fact that Ranma kissed her, showing that he cared about her. The fact that two of the other girls were kissed before her, however, irks her to no end. She decides to try and find out why she wasn't first, or at least the second one to be kissed...

"Ranma, why did you kiss Shampoo third?" Shampoo said with a slight bit of anger in her voice.

Ranma doesn't really have a good answer and curses himself for not thinking of one before kissing her... he should have expected this from her. "Umm... it was nothing personal... I don't hate you or anything…"

"So you don't think Shampoo is that important?" Shampoo continued to press the issue.

"No, that's not it... you're getting this all wrong..." Ranma waved his hands in front of his body defensively.

"Is okay, Shampoo will prove that she is better then the other girls and show you once and for all how much I care for you..." With that, Shampoo pins Ranma down to the ground and gives him a parting hug.

"You make sure that the others are ready to fight again, tell them Shampoo want to finish our match!"

Ranma nods and then Shampoo stands up. She winks at Ranma and then leaves the room. Ranma is now faced with the toughest assignment yet, waking Akane. 'Well, only one left to go… and this maybe the hardest kiss to do. We pretend kissed before in that play… but I have to kiss for real here. I was always wondering how her lips would feel after that play… I guess I get to find out now…' Ranma blushes and looks down at Akane. She has a smile on her face…

"You know, you're cute when you smile… maybe if I'm lucky I can see you smile more often after this is all over…" Having gotten that off of his chest, he takes some deep breaths and prepares himself for the reaction that he knows will come from her when she awakens. Slowly, he lowers his lips and then they gently meet hers. Ranma takes his lips off of hers and waits for her to wake up... but nothing happens. Getting worried, Ranma gently shakes Akane...

"Come on Akane, wake up... please... Akane…"

After a few moments, she still doesn't wake up. Ranma is getting even more worried with every passing moment, the herbs don't seem to be working...

"You're stubborn even when you're asleep... I better try again..."

Ranma goes in for another kiss, this time giving her a stronger and more passionate kiss. He blushes as he kisses Akane; this kiss was deeper then the ones he gave the others. He is pulling back from Akane when her eyes open and lock on to him...

"Ranma, what are you doing?" Ranma fails to answer before she asks another question. "It looked you just k... kissed me... did you?"

"Um... yeah, I had to..." Ranma said with a mixture of fear and embarrassment… he thought he was ready for her reaction… but was wrong. Akane tries to hit Ranma with a quick punch, but he catches her fist and holds it. "You didn't let me explain..."

"What's to explain? You took advantage of me while I was sleeping!" Akane said in a very angry tone of voice. "Ranma no baka!"

"Akane... what's the last thing you remember? You said that you were going to try and listen to me before jumping to conclusions…" Ranma said quickly, the longer Akane stayed angry, the worse it would be for him. Much to his surprise, he didn't find himself getting angry with her.

Taking a deep breath, Akane calms down for the time being. She is still angry about the kiss, though part of her wishes she could have felt it and enjoyed it. Pushing that feeling aside for the moment, she thinks about the days' events and tells Ranma about her memories... and curses herself for forgetting that promise to listen to him from earlier that week.

Akane looked around and noticed the three empty futons. "Well, it looked like all of us were going to make a big attack against each and then... nothing. Ranma, what happened to me... and where are the other girls?"

Ranma flinches at that question… Akane would keep pressing the issue until she got an answer. Ranma has no choice but to tell her what she wants to know… he feels guilty, given the feelings he has for her… and he kissed her last. 'Oh no… I'm doomed…'

Ranma clears his throat and then starts talking. "All four of you got knocked out by some kind of dust. Cologne and Dr. Tofu figured out what was wrong with you guys, it was something called "Sleeping Beauty Sickness" The only way to wake you guys up was to put this special herbal paste on your neck, face, and lips and then..." Ranma stops speaking… what he is about to say could be very painful… for both of them…

"And then... what? Come on, Ranma… tell me…" Akane did not resort to using a special expression like two of her opponents just had, her stare was more then enough to unsettle Ranma and get him to keep speaking.

Ranma cannot help but fidget because of her glance. He knows that he must keep speaking… despite the consequences to himself. "And then..." Ranma blushes and then continues… "You had to... to... be woken up... with a... a… "

Akane's mind is racing at over a hundred Km an hour as she suddenly realizes why her lips were warm... the "Sleeping Beauty" part tipped her off. "You kissed me!" Akane said with mixed emotions.

Ranma goes on the defensive. "I had to... twice... otherwise..."

Akane responded with a hint of indignance in her voice. "Had to? Was it that bad of a thing... oh I bet you..." Akane stopped and looked around the room again… and remember there were three other beds… but no one in them.

"You pervert! You kissed them too didn't you! Tell me, Ranma!" Akane battle aura flared up, being very visible and almost as strong as it was earlier when she was fighting the other fiancées… Ranma knew he had to calm her down and fast. He remembers too that she was injured… and she could aggravate that very easily if she tries to mallet him or assault him again.

"It's not like I had any choice! Mousse couldn't wake up Shampoo... and the others couldn't wake y..." Ranma stopped as he almost said "you up." Akane, however, was able to figure out what he was going to say next and finished his thought.

"Woke me up? Who did... did you let someone else kiss me!" Akane couldn't believe what had just happened to her. "How dare you! I'm your fiancée… and you let someone else take advantage of me!"

Ranma tries to save face by explaining what happened after the herb was applied. "I tried to stop them! While I was bashing in Kuno's face that jerk Ryoga kissed you first and then when I was beating the hell outta him..."

Akane couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Ryoga kissed me! And so did Kuno! I should KILL YOU RANMA! HOW DARE YOU LET KUNO KISS ME!"

Ranma winces at her words… he knew that she would react… but not this badly.

"I can't believe it! That moronic idiot actually kissed me! I'm going to have to cut my lips off after that disgusting thing touched me! Ewww! I... where's Kuno? I'll rip his lips off... I'LL RIP HIS HEAD OFF! NO I'M GOIN TO RIP HIM INTO TINY SHREDDS OF FLESH AND THEN I AM GOING TO BREAK EVERY BONE IN HIS BODY!

Kuno is in the other room and can very easily hear the very vocal Akane Tendo ranting… about him…

"I think my fierce tigress is a bit mad..."

Ryoga cannot help but comment back. "Kuno... she really can't stand you... if I were you I'd get out of here before she sees you... I mean she only said she couldn't stand me... kissing... her..." As Ryoga said the last three words he realized that she did not like the thought of being kissed by him either.

Akane continues to yell… even Nodoka's eyebrows go up at some of the comments she hears over in another part of the house. She cannot help but stop her conversation with her husband to ask- "Is this the girl that you claim he's in love with?" Genma can only nod his head.

Over in the kitchen, Kasumi cannot help but say "Oh my…" Her sister hasn't been this vocal about anything in a long time…

Back in the dining room, Nabiki looks over at Doctor Tofu and notices that he is looking rather pale at the things Akane was describing... if she even carried out half those threats then there would be no hope of him getting Kuno back together again. Kuno for his part was looking pale… to the point of being green... and it wasn't from envy.

Soun coughed from beside Kuno. "I think it would be best if she did not see you when she comes though that door… which could be at any moment…"

"Huh...? I oh..."

Kuno suddenly heard a rather loud sound that he knew was Akane stomping... even from here he could hear the floor cracking under the force of her stomps. Letting out a very little eep... Kuno made a rush for the exit. As he ran off into the distance he yelled... "I shall return for you my fierce tigress... right after you calm down and no longer wish to rip my personage apart with thine bare hands!"

"I think you should leave now as well… or my sister might take out her anger on you instead…" Nabiki said as she looked at Ryoga. He nodded and couldn't help but feel sad about the fact that he had to leave. 'At least she's awake and okay… just like the other three… I'll try and talk to her later, after she calms down…'

Ryoga grabs his umbrella and heads out… but doesn't get far before he gets wet. He crawls under his umbrella and has one thought right away… 'Today just isn't my day…'

Back in the guest room, Ranma has finally managed to get Akane to calm down a little. His pleads are beginning to get through to her… he had already dodged two mallet strikes and didn't want to chance a third attack.

"Look Akane, for the last time, I didn't mean to offend you by kissing you last…" He digs up an old saying he heard before and tries to use it to calm Akane down some more. "Isn't there a saying that says you save the best for last?"

Akane reacted very carefully to his statement. "So… you're saying… that I'm the best of the four girls? Tell me, Ranma…" She looks at Ranma with a new expression, one of curiosity and hope that he'll say something good in response.

"Eep… what I meant is…" Ranma looked at Akane, who was hanging off of his every word. 'Damn me and my big mouth… but I think I can try and answer her without being too embarrassed… I think…'

"Is what?" Akane moved a little closer to Ranma, the closeness of her person to his was beginning to unnerve him a little.

"I umm…" Giving up on what he was going to say, Ranma instead tries to change the subject. "I think I'd better clean up that shoulder wound before you hurt yourself…"

Akane instinctively touched her should and winced as the pain flowed through her body. He knew that he changed the subject on purpose… but he had a point.

"Okay…" Akane looks next to the futon and notices that there is water and bandages already there. 'Kasumi must have set this up…' She looks at her gi and notices several minor tears scatter throughout it… but it's the tear on her shoulder that worries her the most. 'That hoop must have hit me pretty good…'

Ranma realizes that she needs to take off her gi to treat the wound properly… but doesn't want to suggest it because she may call him a pervert and get riled up again. He decides to make her think about doing it. Dabbling a little water onto a wash cloth, he gently starts to wash away some of the dried blood on her shoulder…

Akane watches what he's doing and feels happy that he's helping her. After about a minute, however, the main wound is cleaned up and Ranma is trying to get some of the outer part cleaned, despite the fabric of her gi being in the way. "Oww! Watch it! That hurt!"

"Look, it's the best I can do…" Ranma said as he tried to indirectly lead her to make the decision to take off her gi.

"Well, I don't need to get an infection… hold on a second…" Akane said as she turned her body to the side. Pulling the blanket over her body, she starts to undo her gi. "You better not peek, Ranma…"

"Look, who…" Ranma quickly stop himself from making a comment about her looks. 'Why does she always make it so hard? I'm not a pervert like she makes me out to be…'

Ranma hears Akane gasp as the blood stained gi is thrown off to the side. "What's wrong?"

Akane looks down again just to make sure she isn't delusional. When she had gotten dressed this morning, she had put on white panties and a matching bra… after checking again; she realizes that both are missing…

"Akane, what's…"

"I'm missing something… something important…"

"Umm…" Ranma thought about it and realized a moment later what the could mean… she only would have her bottom pants and her underwear on… and the pants she still had on…

"How in the hell could my underwear be missing? No one…" Akane said, furious about losing yet another pair of underwear.

"No, no one did anything like that… I've been watching you and the other girls the whole time you were here…" Ranma said quickly to try and keep Akane from going ballistic.

"Then it must have happened when we got knocked out… did you see Happosai around at all today?" Akane said as she drew a conclusion… and for once Ranma was glad that it was the right one. He was afraid that she would accuse him of stealing her underwear, improbable as that may be.

"No, haven't seen him at all. He's been gone since Nabiki and I kicked him out of the house…" Ranma said while thinking about the fight itself. 'It still could have been him, though, this looks something he would do…'

"I guess we'll have to investigate further…" Akane said as she lied down on her front side under the blanket. Her bare back felt tight… 'Probably from all the muscle movement I had to do today…' She clears her throat and looks at Ranma. "Ranma… you can take off that blanket…"

Ranma hesitates for a moment but then pulls off the blanket. Akane's naked back is right in front of him… he cannot help but stare for a moment. Akane brings him back to his senses.

"Come on, Ranma… I don't have all day here…"

"Oh… sorry…" Ranma said as he started to clean the rest of her shoulder wound. He prepares the bandage and gently puts in over the cut, to avoiding hurting Akane anymore. She turns her head after he finishes and smiles at him, appreciating the way he was dealing with her.

"Thank you, Ranma…"

"Umm… no problem…" Ranma said as he fought off the urge to blush.

Akane crawls back under the blanket and sighs aloud. Ranma gets up and heads for the door…

"I'll be right back…"

Akane patiently waits for Ranma to return. When he does, he is holding a white shirt in his hands.

"I'd figured umm… since your gi here got torn and bloody that you'd need something to wear right now…"

"Thank you Ranma…" Akane said as she took the shirt and put it on while she was under the blanket. She tries to stand up but feels a bit woozy for some reason. Her blood pressure had yet to return to normal.

"Umm… about that kiss…" Ranma wanted to talk to her about that- it was the last thing he really needed to discuss with her in private.

"Look, we'll talk about that later, I'm hungry and I wanna see my father and sisters…" Akane said as she tried to maintain her balance. Ranma extends his hand out and she moves to grab it… but doesn't make it and instead falls on top of Ranma. Akane feels something warm and soft pressing against her lips… and realizes that her lips are against his. 'So this is what kissing him is like… it feels… good…'

Akane has a reflex action a moment later and gets off of Ranma. She looks down at him and finds him stunned and sporting a dazed expression… as though he has just tasted heaven. With a very light bounce to her step, she starts walking towards the door. 'Ranma kissed me... three times… and the 3rd time I got to enjoy it... Akane's face turns very red as she thinks about how much she enjoyed it. With a sudden surge of energy, she opens the door and hears a collection of gasps.

Nabiki and Soun immediately notice Akane's red face and immediately think that she is still angry. Both duck for cover and then notice something else… Ranma is on the floor in the other room... with a dazed look on his face. Nabiki and Soun assume that she laid him out good... with a punch or something... little do they know... she laid him out all right… but by her lips.

A well hidden Nabiki speaks up from across the room... "Sis, the other girls want a rematch..."

"A rematch? They'll get one all right! I have my honor and the family name to defend!" Akane said confidently, full of an energy she had never expected to have in her. 'If I win… I'll get to kiss him again… and show those girls that Akane Tendo never backs down from a fight. Problem is… I need something very unorthodox to win… like some secret techniques that those three won't expect…'

Kasumi comes into the room and gives her little sister a hug; feeling very glad about her recovery. She looks over in the other room and notices Ranma sprawled out on the floor…

"Oh my… what happened to Ranma?"

"He ummm… fell and must have hit his head…" Akane prayed that her story would be believable… she didn't want to talk about the kiss… especially with Nabiki around.

"I'll see if Ranma is okay… why don't you take a nice hot bath and relax? I'll make some lunch for you, so come to the kitchen when you're done with your bath… " Kasumi said as she walked over to Ranma. Akane nods her head and heads upstairs.

'It's been a long day… and I need to relax… and think…' Akane thought to herself as she grabbed some new clothes and headed into the bathroom to enjoy a nice, long bath. Kasumi brings Ranma back to reality with a couple of shakes…

"Ranma, wake up…"

"Oh, huh? Kasumi…" Ranma said as he gently touched his lips. 'Akane fell on me… and kissed me… again?'

"Is something wrong, Ranma?" Kasumi said, wondering about what he just did.

"Oh, it's nothing…" Ranma notices Akane's bloodstained gi in the corner of his eye and sighs aloud. Kasumi notices what he's looking at and picks it up off of the ground.

"Ranma… I told you my sister cared for you… she went through all of that training… and even got herself injured for you. Look at this gi…" Kasumi looked at Ranma and notices the sad expression on his face.

"I guess… I guess you were right…" Ranma said softly. "She gave it all for me…"

Kasumi sits down next to Ranma and then speaks again. "I've never seen her excited about something… and so willing to fight. She spent that whole week training with our fathers… she wouldn't have done that if she didn't want be with you…"

"Yeah… she was being serious about her martial arts…" Ranma conceded.

Kasumi hears her father call her a moment later. She stands up and starts to head out of the room. "Ranma… if you want to talk about this later, just ask…"

Ranma watches as Kasumi walks out of the room and softly says to himself- "Maybe I will…"

To be continued in Part 4: Return of the Happosai/One Week

I hope you enjoyed this chapter- this is the longest fanfiction chapter I've ever written. 13,000 words is quite a bit… even for me. Next chapter will deal with what the girls decide to do and with Happy's return. Please R & R!


	4. Part 4: Return of the Happosai

Part 4: Return of the Happosai/One Week

Thanks to Tex, Blasterlion, Chris, and Danny for their help with this chapter.

Ranma heads back to his room to think. He decides to talk to Kasumi in private tomorrow. Her advice has been most helpful recently and he has some more questions to ask her. Meanwhile, Akane has finished her bath and gotten ready for bed. She grabs a framed picture and then stretches out on her bed, allowing her muscles to relax.

Staring at the picture, she cannot help but think of Ranma...

'He kissed those other three girls before me… why? Sometimes he really pisses me off…'

Akane takes a few deep breaths and then starts thinking again… she touches her lips for a moment. 'I'll never get to kiss him again. It kinda felt good… maybe if... I mean we could...' After a deep sigh, Akane mutters a few words out loud to herself… "Great… I'm turning into a pervert..."

A little while later, before nodding off, Akane thinks about the fight. She had fought well- this was the best fight that she had ever been in... but at the end it looked like she was in a bit of a bind. 'Was I going down at the end there? I got cut but it was the double-teaming that nearly did me in. I need something new and radically different for next weeks fight... but what? It has to be something that people wouldn't expect me to use, either…'

On that note, Akane falls asleep. Little did she know that the solution to her problem was secretly making his way over to the Tendo residence... his plan had worked out perfectly... and the cover up was bound to work, too...

"Sweeto! After this evenings little gift session, they'll all think I was a few hundred miles away and be totally clueless about the real culprit behind today's 'Bombing'…"

The spry old man also known as Happosai entered the Tendo house and is greeted by silence. Soun and Genma just stare at the old man- since he was the one on the top of their suspect list for that little incident earlier. Nodoka is unaware of Happosai's reputation and greets him. He does a little bow and throws his sack on the table. Soun and Genma expect a collection of bras and panties to be inside... but when Happosai opens it up, their jaws drop to the ground.

"Just a few souvenirs from up north, I just got back from a little trip to Hokkaido..."

Genma cautiously eyed the collection of postcards, tea, and other trinkets that his Master has brought back. "You were all the way up there?"

"Yes… don't you trust your Master?"

Genma and Soun mumble a few things but start leafing through the pile of souvenirs.

"What does he mean by that, dear?" Nodoka asks her husband. He had failed to mention Happosai… and for good reason.

"Oh, this is the master of the Anything Goes Martial Arts, Happosai…" Genma says, wishing that he didn't need to expose his wife to this man and his perversions.

"Nice to meet you… I'm Ranma's mother Nodoka Saotome…"

"The pleasure is mine…" Happosai then does a little bow and then decides to continue his charade…

"Sooo… anything interesting happen while I was gone. If I recall right, wasn't their a fight today? Who ended up getting Ranma?"

"It's funny that you mention that…" Soun says while examining some of the trinkets on the table. "No one won…"

"How could that happen? I thought those four girls would have fought it out and that someone would've prevailed…" Happosai said as he feigned ignorance.

"Something happened to all of the girls… and my Ranma had to wake them all up with a kiss. He was real manly today…" Nodoka said as she started to think about her son.

As the evening goes on, Soun retires and heads off to bed. Happosai satisfied that the others won't make any accusations; heads back to his room and celebrates with some sake. Genma and Nodoka head back upstairs… Genma goes to sleep right away but his wife sits down next to Ranma and starts gently running her fingers through her sons' hair…

'I'm so happy to see you, Ranma… it's been so long… and I was so worried about you, especially after your father stopped writing me. He told me about some of your "adventures"… and how you saved people, especially Akane…'

Nodoka yawns and then goes into her futon and goes to sleep. This has been one of the happiest days of her life… she's found her son and he's manly… no need to use the sword.

The next day soon arrives and the morning sun shines throughout the Tendo house. It's a normal Sunday, except for the fact that Ranma's mother is there. She spends the morning talking with her son, trying to make up for lost time. She also asks him about something of the things she noticed earlier- his nervousness about dealing with the fiancées, nervousness about being hugged… nervousness about women in general. Ranma reluctantly agrees to talk about it, but in private. What Nodoka hears shocks her and gets her quite angry with her husband.

While this is going on, Akane heads over to the dojo to practice. Happosai notices this and heads on over to make a "proposal"…

Akane hears the door open and is surprised to see Happosai enter.

"What do you want?" Akane said, not appreciating the interruption.

"I heard about what happened yesterday… and I have a proposal for you…" Happosai said with a grin.

"Why would you help me out?" Akane said skeptically.

"Because you're one of my favorites…" Happosai said with a chuckle.

"Oh really?" Akane said as her defenses went up.

"I can help you win… I have techniques that the others will not even know about… or expect. All you have to do is ask…" With that, Happosai walks out of the dojo and chuckles. He knows that in the end Akane's pride will win out… she'll want to win at any cost…

Back in the dojo, Akane resumes her practice… and can't seem to shake the idea of listening to Happosai's proposal. 'Do I really want to win that badly? Gods only know what kind of techniques he has up his sleeve…'

Kasumi walks into the dojo a little later and calls everyone in for lunch. Both Ranma and Akane are silent during lunch… and Genma cannot help but fidget because of the looks that his wife is giving him. Nabiki realizes something is going on but can't quite put her finger on it…

Happosai decides to bring a little conversation to the table…

"Thinking about the rematch?" Happosai said with a grin. "I'm sure Ranma is…"

Akane takes a glance at Ranma and then looks back at Happosai. This was it… she had to make a decision about this soon. "I'll give you your answer after lunch…"

"Well, you know where to find me…" With that, Happosai left the table and headed back to his room. He quickly dug out a few training scrolls that would be just perfect for Akane…

Ranma, ever the curious one, decides to ask, "Akane, what's going on?"

"Oh, it's nothing. He offered to help me make up a new training routine that'll help me beat the other girls..." Akane said and then thought to herself. 'I hope this helps me beat the other girls. They all have weapons, so I'm kinda of at a disadvantage... not that I'm about to tell him that.'

'What's Akane getting herself into now?' Ranma thought as he pondered what Happosai could have in store for her.

Akane pushes her now empty plate towards the center of the table and then stands up. "I'm done… and I have to do some more training…" Akane leaves the room and heads over to Happosai's room. Those around the table, with the exception of Nodoka, were very curious, as well as worried, about what had just happened.

A knock on the door signals Akane's arrival. "Come in, my dear…" Akane slowly opens the door and steps inside. After she shuts the door behind her, she takes a deep breath and sits down on the floor in front of Happosai.

"I may have a way to help you... if you learn the techniques that I'm thinking of, you can win despite their weapons..." Happosai smiled at Akane. He's just set up the bait... but will she take it?

"What kind of training did you have in mind?" Akane said with some skepticism. She knew that she was skirting the line, so to speak. Commitment to work with him depended on how he answered this question.

Happosai pauses and then carefully words his answer just right.

"Well, it's a combination of a few different methods. It'll allow you to dodge attacks and you'll also learn how to take the weapons away or use their own momentum against them. I have to warn you, it'll be vigorous training..."

"That doesn't bother me..." Akane thinks it over one last time before confirming her desire to learn these techniques of his. "When can we start?"

"How about in about an hour? Meet me in the dojo... and make sure you're wearing nice lingerie..."

Akane's eyes narrowed. "What the hell does that have to do with the training?"

Happosai immediately goes on the defensive and puts on an innocent face. "You'll see, just make sure you're wearing some, okay? See yah later!"

Happosai runs out of the room, hops out of an open window, and starts running away from the house. He's over a half mile away before he can suppress his laughter no longer...

'I can't believe she fell for that! I will teach what she needs to know to win, but I'll certainly have some fun while I'm doing it... and she'll probably be wearing fancy lingerie like I asked... happy day!'

Akane sighs and then heads out to the dojo. She breaks a pile of bricks that she had set up earlier and then begins to think to herself. 'How's this going to help me? I do this all the time… but will it help me win on Saturday? I could've lost…'

Akane looks down at the broken remnants of brick and realizes something. 'I could have lost… and I'm doing the same practice now. Maybe I should give up…'

After a short pause… Akane realizes that she can't give up. She just needs something different… and maybe this training with Happosai can be just that…

Around 1:30, Happosai comes back to the house and heads into the dojo. Peering inside, he finds Akane hitting a practice dummy.

"Are you truly prepared for this training? Some of these methods are quite intense..." Happosai says as he steps into the dojo.

"I have to win..." Akane takes a deep breath. "So, let's get started!"

Happosai nods his head and heads over to the center of the dojo.

"Okay. One of the first things you will have to learn is how to dodge quick jabs at close range- your opponents can use their weapons at close range. Kodachi and Ukyo can also hit you at a distance, but that's a different problem and a different technique."

Always the curious one, Akane asks about the name of the technique she is about to learn.

"It's called the 'Short Range Hentai Block'" he said with pride.

Akane's eyebrows go up immediately... she knows for certain that he is gonna be using some perverse techniques on her. She realizes that she has to do this, though. Winning is the only option... for her pride, her family, and for Ranma- who only could be her friend if she loses, nothing more.

"Ready?"

Akane mumbles to herself... 'So that's why he wanted me to wear lingerie...' After a quick nod, she prepares herself for the worst. 'The other girls won't know what hit them... the things I do for fami... err for Ranma...'

Akane blushes and Happosai just stares at her, wondering what's going on.

"Akane, prepare yourself..."

Akane gets her guard up just as Happosai lunges towards her. She blocks his advances and tries to dodge them, a few of his blows get through and she can feel his hands on her chest...

"Get the hell off me, you little pervert!" Akane yelled as her battle aura started to show.

"It's all part of the technique, you have to block and also learn to dodge my blows. Otherwise, this is what happens..." Happosai holds up Akane's white bra to show her how easily he got to her.

"Why you...!" Akane tries to grab her bra from his grasp, but to no avail. She does manage to grab him, however, and throws him across the room. He lands without injury and stares at her for a moment before resuming his attack...

"Round two!" Happosai drops the bra to the ground and rushes at lightning speed towards Akane.

"I'm ready for you this time!"

Happosai feigns a frontal attack and hops over Akane, latching his legs onto her shoulders so he can hang upside down. A moment later, Akane feels an unwelcome pinch on her behind...

"Your opponents won't always attack from the front, yah know..."

Akane is nearly ready to kill Happosai at this point. She grabs his legs and throws him across the room for the second time. She now knows to watch both the front and the rear whenever he makes a move.

"Try again!"

"You asked for it... round 3!"

15 minutes later... "I'm not done yet! Round 45!" A frustrated female voice shouted.

"I think you're finally getting the hang of it, so this will be the last round. Tomorrow we'll work on using the opponent's momentum against them, you'll have to dodge and/or block me... and at the same time look for an opening to grab my fist and throw me to the ground or across the room..."

"Fine. Now, try and grab me again, you pervert!"

"You asked for it..."

Two minutes later... Happosai was whistling while twirling a pair of panties with his fingers. Akane's bra is draped over his left shoulder.

"Make sure you wear something nice for tomorrow... I really liked your choice of underwear today..." Happosai said as he walked out of the dojo, very happy with his day's work.

Meanwhile Akane was kneeling on the floor looking mortified. "Ranma makes this look so easy... he just hits him and down the pervert goes. Even Shampoo and Ukyo can smash him..."

After spending some time thinking to herself, Akane decides to head back into the house for a snack, all of this training has made her quite hungry. She digs out some chips and soda and relaxes in the dining room. No one appears to be around... which is just perfect for her. She can be alone with her thoughts...

'I really need to get serious here... Happosai is really good and I need to get better and fast, otherwise I'll never beat him and I may lose to the other girls...'

That last thought strikes her like lightning, she cannot bear to think about what her life would be like if she lost... the consequences would be disastrous. One thing holding her back is her anger, it makes her lose her focus. 'I was doing pretty good in those last rounds... but then he got me angry and I dropped my guard. That pervert got my bra and panties…'

'Well, the first thing to do is... only wear the sets I can't stand anymore or that are too small...' Akane said to herself then added- 'And then I've got to work on my speed… and anger...'

A determined looking expression is on Akane's face when Ranma walks into the room. He is very curious about what's going on... he heard that she had been training with Happosai... and he is concerned about her well being...

"Akane... are you okay?"

Akane doesn't want to tell him how difficult the training is for her or how she is not faring too well with the technique. She lets her pride answer this question...

"Of course, Ranma. I'm doing fine... and I'm sure I'll win!"

"He dug up some old techniques to show you, didn't he?"

"Well, let's just say it involves a lot of hands on techniques..." Akane said with a slight hint of disgust in her voice.

Ranma nodded and then his eyes are drawn in by the excessive cleavage she's showing. Akane failed to realize that Happosai's last maneuver loosened up her gi… but Ranma, ever the observant one, happens to catch this. "Akane... why didn't you wear your..." Ranma stopped and came to a realization about what happened to Akane during the training - Happosai took her bra.

"You pervert! I knew you'd look at them!" She slapped him and then ran away smiling happily as she realized that "Ranma finally noticed me!"

Ranma puts his hand on his cheek and wonders what's up with Akane... 'Akane... I just don't understand her sometimes...'

When Akane gets back to her room she realizes that she's happy that Ranma was looking at her like that... 'I'm turning into a pervert... that old man's training is already messing me up. If one day messed me up like this, imagine a whole week…' Akane dismisses the thought and spends the rest of the afternoon relaxing and mentally preparing herself for the next day's training. That evening, Ryoga stops by to see how she's doing...

Akane heads down to the dining room and finds Ryoga is waiting there… he's uneasy about the comments he heard from her yesterday and is very nervous when she looks at him.

"Hi, Akane..."

"Back to steal another kiss?" Akane said with an angry tone of voice. "What's next?"

"Umm... I can explain that..." Ryoga said as he moved back a few steps.

Akane looked at him and sighed. "I have to train some more... no way am I going to lose to those bimbos."

Ryoga is very curious about her training and decides to find out what kind of training she is doing.

"Akane, are you training alone or is someone helping you?"

"Look Ryoga, don't worry about that. I can take care of myself..." After a brief pause, she yawns. "Look, I have to rest up for tomorrow's training... maybe we can TALK later…"

Not wanting to anger Akane further, Ryoga takes his leave. He walks out and then immediately begins to think to himself... 'She really wants to win, I can tell. I can't interfere with this match... the girls would kill me. I feel a little better since I talked to her… but she's still pretty mad with me…'

After wondering around for a little bit, Ryoga ends up in front of Ukyo's restaurant. The wonderful smells coming from within make him realize how truly hungry he is.

Ukyo is surprised to see Ryoga walk through her door; she stops her cooking/training and greets him.

"Come on in, Ryoga. I was just doing some training and making a new dish... do you want something to eat?"

Ryoga's stomach answers that question for him, the answer is loud enough for Ukyo to hear...

"I'd better get you something fast; it sounds like you're starving!"

Ryoga puts a hand on his stomach. "Maybe..." He quickly takes a seat and starts to chow down the moment the food is placed in front of him.

"Soo... what's my partner in crime up to?" Ukyo said with a chuckle. She has fond memories of them from the Toma incident as well as their failed plot in the haunted cave to draw on. Ryoga stops eating and tries to figure out what she meant...

"Oh, never mind. What brings you my way today?" Ukyo says after noticing Ryoga's sudden pause.

"Well, I was wondering around after visiting Akane and I ended up over here..."

Curious, Ukyo asks, "What's she up to?" Akane had asked for a rematch so Ukyo thought it best to get as much from him as she could.

Ryoga pauses eating again and tells her what he seen over at the Tendo residence.

"I think she's serious about winning... she looked very determined and was doing some kind of training regiment..."

"Join the club... I don't get their relationship, either."

"I don't understand her... she hates Ranma one moment and likes him the next..."

"Thanks, Ryoga. I know that I'll definitely have to train hard and I know that Akane was serious about her desire for a rematch with me and the other girls. I'd better get back to my training..."

Ryoga pushes the now empty plate forward and bows before Ukyo.

"Thank you for the wonderful food. I feel a lot better…"

"Anytime, Ryoga. See yah later!"

Ryoga waves goodbye and then heads out of the cafe and out to the open street. He feels a bit better after that wonderful food... but is still concerned about this fight and what could happen as a result of it.

The next couple days go by in a normal fashion, all four girls continue their training, preparing for the fight. Kodachi is working with her classmates at school and honing her technique... Ranma notices a sign on the Cat Cafe and then knows what Shampoo is doing for training...

"Hmm... Cat Cafe closed until further notice. Owner and assistant are training in the mountains... I guess she's also serious about this fight."

Ranma sighs and then bemoans his fate. 'Why does everyone want to run my life? I wish I could just make my own choice on who I like and who I... l... love.' Ranma gulps and then blushes. After taking a moment to compose himself, he continues to walk up the street. A minute later, he hears the rapid pounding of feet behind him. Ranma, expecting the worse, prepares for a fight. When he turns around, he finds Mousse standing there.

"This is all your fault! Now I may lose Shampoo!" Mousse yelled.

Ranma takes a deep breath and tries and calm Mousse down...

"Look, I know I shouldn't have said that... but this' got to end sometime. I think it would've happened sometime. But... Do you want to try and call this off? The girls would kill us if we tried to do that."

Mousse nods his head to that comment, he knows that it is quite true... and it would put them on their bad sides for sure... Ranma continues to speak.

"As for Shampoo..."

"You still may end up with her, you know. She's good with her bonbori's, and for some reason she really does want to be with you... but then again, so do your other fiancées..."

"I know that, too... I wish everyone would let me make my own choices, but I guess that ain't happening. If Shampoo loses, that'll be your chance... I believe she'll be free of her Amazon obligation towards me..."

"That's true..."

"Hey, I gotta get going here, they're expecting me back at the dojo..."

"I guess I'll see you on Saturday... when this all comes to an end..."

Mousse silently lowers his head and tries not to think about what would happen if Shampoo wins. Ranma departs and can't help but notice the sad look on Mousse's face... 'Everything's messed up around here... and I really can't do a thing about it... at least until the match is done...'

When Ranma returns to the Tendo home, he can hear an argument coming from his room. He sneaks up to the door, presses his ear against it, and starts to listen in…

"You're very lucky that I haven't used my sword, Genma… Ranma told me all about you and your training… what were you thinking? I can see why my son has issues with women… and fiancées…"

All Genma can do is sputter a few words in his defense… he definitely is in fear of losing his life at this point. Ranma mentally agrees with every word that he has heard from his mother… his father was supposed to teach him about certain things… but all Genma could think about was the art and his own selfish desires.

"For Ranma's sake… I'm not going to call in the agreement. If anyone has been unmanly, it's you…"

Nodoka's words pierce Genma's soul. He finally gets to see his wife… and it's turning out the exact opposite as he had hoped. Ranma steps back as he hears the door open… his father trudges out and heads down the hallway. Ranma decides to be silent until his dad is out of sight. Before he can move a single step, his ears pick up the sound of crying.

"Why me? I was so happy to see my husband and son… but Genma went astray. My Ranma…" Nodoka puts her hands over her face and continues to sob.

Ranma slowly walks out of the corner where he was standing and heads towards his room. Before he can enter the room, his mother hears his footsteps and lowers her hands. "Ranma?"

"Mom… are you alright?"

Nodoka dries her eyes and then motions her son to sit down next to her. Before Ranma can say a word, he finds himself in a very tight hug…

"Ranma… I'm sorry… so sorry…"

"Mom… umm… don't worry… I'll be fine…" Ranma did his best to mask the building rage he was feeling towards his father- she's crying because of learning about the last ten years…

"I wish I could've seen you sooner… to help you. When I stopped getting letters from your father, I became really worried. I thought something bad happened to you two…"

If only you knew…' Ranma says to himself. 'My world has been turned upside down since I got here… I haven't had many happy moments…'

"Mom… I'm ummm…" Ranma struggles to express his feelings. "I'm happy that you're here…"

Nodoka smiles and leans against her son. For the first time in a very long time, Ranma has a mother/son moment with his mother. A few minutes later, Ranma notices Happosai walking by near the far end of the hallway. Akane has constantly dodged his inquiries about the training that she's doing… he reasons to himself. 'Maybe if I ask the old man directly he'll tell me what's going on… and he better not be hurting her or I'll…'

"Mom, I'll be back… I need to do something…"

"Ranma… thank you for comforting me…" Nodoka said as she stood up and straightened out her kimono. "I think I'll go and find your father before he does something drastic…"

Ranma knows he could've made a comment about that, but he decides to set his sights on a different problem. Nodoka heads out of the house to search for her husband while Ranma walks up to Happosai…

"How can I help you, Ranma?" Happosai says as he turns around. Ranma is caught off guard for a moment, he could've sworn that the old man hadn't seen him coming.

"I want you to tell me something…"

"Go ahead…" Happosai said as he tried to figure out what Ranma was about to ask.

"What kind of training are you doing with Akane? She won't tell me…"

"Worried about Akane, aren't you?" Happosai said with a grin.

Ranma tries not to blush but at the same time doesn't want to dodge the issue. "I hope you aren't using those super soba noodles again… I don't wanna see Akane with whiskers again…"

"No, nothing like that. No magic noodles or potions… just good old 'hands on training'…" Happosai said with a slight smirk.

"Oh really…" Ranma said skeptically. "What kind of 'hands on training'…?"

"Sorry, I can't tell you. Of course, if you want to learn some new techniques later, all you have to do is ask… and be in female form…" Happosai couldn't help but chuckle and hope that Ranma would eventually want to learn these techniques as well.

"I think I'll pass… but you better not hurt her or else!"

Happosai quickly deflected the threat. "Don't worry, Ranma… she'll win… I know how much you like that girl…"

With that, Happosai hopped off and headed down to his room. He soon departs on one of his panty raids…

Ranma stands there after Happosai leaves and thinks about what's been going on lately. His world seems to be changing every second… and will change drastically again soon. Saturday is not that far away… and Akane and the other girls will face off once again.

Akane, who had just finished her cool down exercises, enters the house and heads upstairs. 'At least that pervert didn't get my underwear today…' As she walks down the upstairs hallway, she is surprised to see Ranma silently standing there.

Ranma notices Akane and begins to speak…

"Akane… I… umm… want you to stop training with Happosai…"

Akane narrows her eyes. "Why should I?" Akane cannot help but think… 'Why is he asking me to do this? I'm doing this for…'

"I talked to the old man… and he told me that you two were using 'hands on' techniques. I'm umm…" Ranma stops speaking as he realized what his next words were going to be. Akane looks at him curiously and can tell by his expressions what he was going to say.

"Look, Ranma… I gotta win… and don't worry, I can handle his 'training'…" She looked at Ranma in annoyance for a moment before flashing him a smile as she realized that he was showing that he -was- concerned about her. "Thanks for worrying about me… but this is something I got to do for myself. I'm supposed to get some special gift on Friday at the end …"

"I bet that old man is gonna get you some underwear or something…" Ranma said as he mentally pictured what kind of "gifts" Happosai was bound to give Akane. Unfortunately once he pictured the 'gifts', he also pictured Akane wearing them. When Ranma' s mind suddenly began flashing images of Akane wearing only a bra and panties, his eyes opened wide. When his imagination suddenly decided that it was not wild enough to meet with the perverts satisfaction he began 'seeing' Akane in less and less which had the result of Ranma standing in front of Akane with a stupid look on his face. Eyes opened wider than Kasumi's biggest plates, a littel drool running out the corner of his mouth and a slight dribbling of blood from his nose.

Akane chuckles. "You know, you're probably right… I wouldn't put it past him…" She stops chuckling as she notices the strange look on his face. "Pervert," she mumbled but for the first time, she couldn't bring herself to mallet him. 'Weird...' she said mentally.

Shaking his head to clear it, Ranma takes a moment to look at Akane. There was something about her… that just seemed to get his attention. Sometimes it was in a positive way… sometimes negative. Akane notices Ranma staring at her.

"Well, I think I'm going to clean up and go to bed… good night, Ranma…" she told him though she was wondering why she didn't hit him for being a pervert... 'Am I becoming a pervert too,' she wondered.

"Good night…" Ranma said as he watched Akane walk down the hallway and into her room. 'Is it my imagination or are her hips swaying?'

"Well, well… Ranma here actually had a real conversation with Akane and didn't get malletted…" Ranma turns and finds Nabiki and her father standing at the top of the stairs.

"Good job, Ranma… I knew you could do it…" Soun chimed in.

"Oh, geez…" Ranma put his hand on his head. 'I can't have a moment alone with her…'

"What's wrong Ranma? Cat got your tongue?" Nabiki said as she continued to tease Ranma.

He shuddered at the mention of those fur-balled demons. "You know what…" Ranma said as he tried to think of something witty to say. Unfortunately he couldn't think of anything, so he just turned around. "I'm going to bed…" he told them grumpily, but he had a lot to think about. 'What's up with Akane? Why's she acting that way... and why was I thinking of her like that! If she knew she'd kill me!'

Ranma starts to walk away and hears Soun make a parting comment.

"I'm glad you haven't given up on my little girl, Ranma…"

Ranma pauses for a moment to consider what Soun just said… and agrees with him. His life has certainly been… interesting to say the least since meeting Akane. Ranma resumes his walk down the hallway. A moment later he closed the door still thinking about Akane. Now he is wondering what his life would've been like without her. Laying down on the futon he realizes that without that tomboy, then... then... 'I'd rather not think about it...' he told himself and tried to go to sleep.

Nabiki looks at her father and smiles.

"Good work, Daddy. You're keeping Akane on Ranma's mind. remember, don't push him too much. Akane's got a second chance and she can't afford to blow it…"

Soun nods his head and heads back downstairs with Nabiki following close behind. Both are surprised to see Nodoka and Genma enter the house in total silence. Genma does not even look at Soun as he follows his wife upstairs… he has too much on his mind. Ranma's parents find him fast asleep in his futon…

"You need to apologize to Ranma… or at least try to. You said you would do it, Genma…"

Genma sighs and nods his head. Nodoka yawns and Genma sets up her futon for her.

"Thank you dear… but I'm holding you to your word. We'll talk about this in the morning…"

"Yes, dear…" Genma said as he got out his futon and then went to sleep.

Time continues to pass by… and soon it's Friday. Up in the mountains to the west of Nerima, Shampoo and Cologne wake up in their tent. Shampoo makes breakfast while Cologne reviews the training regiment that she had prepared and mentally checks the list.

"Very good Shampoo… I believe you are ready for tomorrow's fight…"

"Shampoo very happy with training…" Shampoo said as she hands a bowl of miso soup to Cologne.

"It doesn't matter what those girls did for training- you now have several new Amazon techniques to use…" Cologne said as she started to eat her soup.

"Shampoo feel a lot stronger… the others have no chance…"

"Indeed. When we get back to the Café, I want to be ready for the dinner rush. We can't afford to be closed for too long…"

Shampoo nods her head in agreement. "Japan very expensive, take much money to live here…"

Cologne chuckles. "Well, when you win, that won't be a problem. You and Ranma will be married and then we can go back to China…"

"Hi-yah! Shampoo looking forward to that!" Shampoo happily exclaimed. She definitely liked the idea that her great-grandmother had just presented. The last few days had been full of many trials and tribulations… but Shampoo took them in stride. With her one goal in mind time seemed to fly by- and everything became easier.

After breakfast, Shampoo took down the tent and begin the long hike back to Nerima with her great-grandmother perched on her backpack.

Over at Furinkan High School, Ukyo arrives early and sits down in the classroom. It's the last day of the week and the big fight is tomorrow. She yawns and then stretches out at the desk.

'I have to talk to Ranma today- I just have to! I have to find out what he truly feels about me… so I know what to do tomorrow…' she kept telling herself as all week she's been having dreams about her and Ranma, and very few of them had been good. There was one in which she won... but even though Ranma was hers, he still loved Akane and even after she married him. It was a dream where she won Ranma... but even during their wedding and during their honeymoon... Ukyo never saw the same look in his eyes toward her that he showed towards Akane. He still never returned her love. "My honor has been restored... but my heart has been broken..." she said quietly as she thought about what was happening. In all her fantasies this should be the happiest moment of her life. She was marrying HIM! Ranma Saotome... today Ukyo Kunoji was becoming Ukyo Saotome! But there was something missing. It wasn't the dress, or the tuxedo. It wasn't anything in the ceremony or even in the reception. What was missing was that warm feeling that she was supposed to have when he held her in his arms. That dream had been the worst, and she spent many hours that night crying and praying to her ancestors that nothing like that would happen.

Ukyo spends the day looking for an opportunity to talk to Ranma alone, without Akane around. An opportunity presents itself after lunch. Ukyo heads over to Ranma and summons her courage. Ranma feels someone tap on his shoulder and is surprised to see Ukyo standing behind him.

"Umm… Ran-chan… can I ask you something?" Ukyo said with a concerned look on her face.

"Sure, go ahead…" Ranma said while trying to figure out what was troubling Ukyo.

Ukyo watched as people started to notice their conversation and move towards her and Ranma. To avoid making a scene and/or getting Akane involved with this, she quickly goes to her "plan B"…

"Can I umm… stop by tonight. I need to talk to you…"

Ranma nods his head and then says "Sure"… Ukyo's nervousness was beginning to get him worried- he had to find out what was wrong. Ukyo, happy that she finally talked to Ranma, heads back to her seat and finishes her lunch.

The rest of day passes by quickly and soon the school day is over. Ukyo heads back to her place and decides to visit Ranma after her dinner rush. Ranma and Akane head home, both engaging in small talk. Ranma can see that Akane is both nervous and excited… tonight is going to be her last night of training with Happosai before the big fight.

After arriving back at the Tendo house, Akane heads upstairs and takes some time to relax before this afternoon's training session. Ranma heads into the kitchen for a snack and sees Kasumi there, hard at work on another one of her culinary masterpieces.

"Hello Ranma… how was school today?" Kasumi said cheerfully.

"Same old, same old…" Was Ranma's reply.

"All right…" Kasumi nods her head. "Would you like to help me with dinner? I'm making another special dinner for Akane tonight…"

Ranma shrugs his shoulders. "Sure, why not? I think she liked it the last time we made dinner…"

Kasumi smiles and then shows Ranma what to do. Inside, Kasumi is happy that Ranma is helping her out again… this only reaffirms the idea that Ranma does care for her little sister.

The wonderful smells of cooking food waft thru the house and eventually reach Happosai's room. He sniffs the air and begins to feel hungry…

'I was about to get Akane and do our last training exercise… but I think it can wait until after dinner…'

Nabiki arrives home a little while later, very happy with the days' sales. Interest in Ranma and Akane helped to spark sales of certain pictures… Kuno was especially generous with the yen today.

Nabiki heads up to her room and hides her profits for the day. She opens up a special notebook and looks at a list of items… and starts to check a few of them off…

'After putting some money away for savings, I can go out and pick up a few things for myself… I definitely gotta get some more underwear. It seems everyday one of my bras or panties disappears…'

About an hour later, dinner is ready and everyone compliments the two chefs, Kasumi and Ranma. Akane gives Ranma a few glances over her shoulder as she eats, causing Ranma to blush. Nabiki, ever the observant one, decides to comment on what she just witnessed.

"Looks like Akane loves your cooking, Ranma…"

Ranma blushes while Akane just nods her head, saving both of them from further embarrassment. Nabiki mentally curses Akane's self control, she was sure that her sister would have had said something. However, it wasn't self control but something else that prevented Akane from commenting- thoughts of the last training session fill her head.

Nodoka and Genma silently eat- Nodoka is waiting for her husband to make his apology. For once in his life, Genma is not trying to stall this out… he's very sure that Ranma is more worried about the fight tomorrow then anything else. After the fight… lots of things were bound to happen…

Soun and Happosai eat their meal without comment. Kasumi was surprised about how quiet things were at dinner… but then again, this was no normal evening. After finishing her food, Akane heads upstairs to change. Happosai heads back to his room, grabs a small box and then heads over to the dojo.

Ranma and Soun help clear up the table after dinner is done. Genma and Nodoka head back upstairs- both know there is still a lot to be discussed about certain matters, especially Ranma.

A little while later, a figure makes her way down the street and over to the Tendo house. As she approaches the door, she can hear the sounds of two people practicing over in the dojo…

"Now's my chance… if I can find him…"

As Ukyo steps inside the gates, she immediately sees her target.

"Oh, Ran-chan!" Ukyo said as she waved at Ranma.

"Uc-chan…"

"Can we… go somewhere… private for a few minutes. I umm… have something to ask you…" Ukyo said with a blush on her face.

Ranma nervously scratches his head. "I guess… but I don't think anywhere's safe in this house…"

"Oh, well, I'll be quick… I just have to umm… ask you one thing…"

Ranma thinks about the problem for a second and then quickly checks out his surroundings. "Let's go over on the far side of the house… I think we'll be okay over there…"

Ranma walks over to the spot he had just mentioned… Ukyo silently follows behind him. He stands against the wall of the house and then looks at Ukyo. 'She's shaking… what's wrong with her?'

"Ukyo, are you okay?" Ranma asked in a concerned tone of voice.

"Yeah… umm… I'm fine. Ranma, what I came here to ask you is…" Ukyo pauses to take a deep breath before continuing. "What are your true feelings towards me? Please tell me… I need to know…" Ukyo looked at Ranma intently as she awaited his answer.

Ranma turns red as he thinks about how he's going to answer her question. 'She worked up her courage to ask me this… I can tell… but I'm no good at dealing with these kinda things… I'm sure any answer I give is gonna sound weird…'

Ukyo notices that Ranma is beginning to sweat. 'I didn't mean to catch him off guard… but I have to know… this is very important to me…' Ukyo takes Ranma's hand and then asks again… "Ran-chan, please tell me…"

"I… I… think of you as my best friend… and I enjoy our friendship. That's umm… how I think of you, Ukyo…" Ranma takes several deep breaths after speaking his mind… this was a difficult situation for both involved. Ukyo looks down at the ground and prepares to ask another question…

"You love me… but like a friend… like a sister… right?" Tears start to form in her eyes… the truth was about to come out. She was expecting him to say these things… the way he acted around Akane, especially recently, showed that he was interested in her more then the other fiancées. There was a sliver of hope in the back of her mind… but she dismissed that. Saturday was too important… she had to know the truth before the fight to avoid messing up any relationship she had with Ranma…

Ranma immediately notices the change in her voice and the tears now falling to the ground. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to hurt your feelings…"

Ukyo looks up at Ranma. She tries to smile but fails. In a sudden burst of emotion, she moves forward and buries her head into his chest. Ranma begins to freak out and nervously looks around…

Both Ranma and Ukyo fail to hear the clicking sound of a camera as a mysterious figure takes pictures of Ranma and Ukyo. He smiles and then heads off to develop the film… and to set his plans in motion…

"Ranma… thank you for being honest…" Ukyo said as she let her emotions flow. She knew that she should have asked him this a long time ago… especially after that "fake marriage" incident with Akane. Ukyo knew that Ranma would never hurt her… the lengths he went through to avoid telling her about the messed up sauce was a clear example of that. But at least now her dreams made sense. He couldn't look at her like he looked at HER... 'He loves me...' she thought. 'But not the way I thought I wanted.'

"Umm… Ukyo…"

"Ranma… can you do me a favor?"

Not knowing what to say in this situation, Ranma can only say one thing… "Sure"…

"Hold me… just for a minute… please…" Ukyo said as she looked up into Ranma's eyes.

Ranma looked into Ukyo's eyes and could see the pain and disappointment… he could tell that she was looking for some relief, some closure to this issue that had probably been on her mind ever since she came to Nerima. Ranma slowly closes his arms around her… and prays that Nabiki or Akane doesn't happen by… both would blow this situation way out of proportion… and Ranma didn't feel like going into orbit tonight…

About two minutes later, Ranma looks down and notices that Ukyo has fallen asleep in his arms. He gently tries to wake her up… her eyes flutter as she realizes what just happened…

"Oh… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to fall asleep…" Ukyo said as she stepped back from Ranma. 'It's true...' she told herself. 'I felt it... that warm feeling... but... but it's not the way I expected.'

"Umm… it was no problem…"

"Ranma… thanks… for answering me honestly…" Ukyo said as she managed to get a smile on her face. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Of course…"

Ukyo starts to walk through the courtyard and heads towards the outer gate. Nodoka, who happens to be walking through the dining room, notices the girl outside. Something about her is familiar… and then it clicks in her head who this girl may be. She rushes over to talk to her…

Ranma is about to walk back into the house when he sees his mom heading towards Ukyo for some reason. He takes this opportunity to get back into the house unnoticed.

Over in the Kuno estate, Sasuke is serving dinner to Tatewaki and Kodachi when a surprise visitor arrives…

"My wahine fight for very bad keiki…"

Tatewaki watches as his father comes into the room and sits down at the table. Sasuke immediately heads back to the kitchen and brings back some more food for Principal Kuno…

"What brings you over here, father dear?" Kodachi asks while eating her dinner and ignoring his last statement.

"I hear rumors… that you are fighting three Wahines tomorrow…"

"Yes, I am… and I will win! Hohohohohoho!" Kodachi says as she goes into her trademark laugh.

Tatewaki just shakes head. "I still don't understand your obsession with the foul Saotome…"

Kodachi stares at her brother for a moment and then comes up with the perfect response. "And what about you and the pig-tailed girl? Or Akane Tendo? I don't know what you see in those girls brother dear…"

"As you can see, our father doesn't approve of Saotome… but has no problem with Akane Tendo or the pig-tailed girl…" Tatewaki then looks at his father.

"Keiki cause lots and lots of trouble…" Principal Kuno said, agreeing with his son's statement.

"Fine! I will prepare for the battle by myself… I don't need your help!" Kodachi pushes her plate forward on the table and stands up.

"I have no desire to see my sister come to harm, even if it be by the hand of my fierce tigress..." Kuno said in a mixture of sadness and excitement surprising his father.

"Oh, really?" Was Kodachi's reply a moment later.

"I do not want to see my sister hurt by the other women…"

Principal Kuno is surprised by his son's comment… but says nothing aloud. He thinks to himself… 'Crazy keeds… they don't know what they like or dislike… is very, very bad…'

Secretly, Tatewaki wants his sister to win… then Akane Tendo would no longer be engaged to Ranma. He cannot help but laugh a little at that thought… and his sister and father wonder what's wrong with him.

After dinner, Principal Kuno leaves and cannot help but wonder about his children. He thinks about possibly showing up at the fight tomorrow…

Kuno spends a good part of the evening battling with his sister and giving her some much needed practice against another person. By the end of the training session, Kodachi feels much better about the fight and her ability to deal with the others. 'They don't stand a chance… hohohohohoho!'

As darkness falls over Nerima, Ranma feels a sudden chill fall over him. Unknown to him, his destiny moves ever closer to being forever changed. Each girl has an agenda, some reason to fight for Ranma…

Over at the Tendo house, Akane finishes her training and receives her gift from Happosai. What she gets is something totally unexpected…

To be continued in Part 5: The Four Fiancee battle, Round 2

Next chapter should be up in a couple weeks… don't forget to review and let me know what you think. Adios till next time!

I also have an omake, just for my faithful readers. Credit for the lines below goes to Tex… they're not mine…

Omake:

"Sweeto!" Was heard throughout the neighborhood. But instead of a foot tall bald headed troll bounding over the rooftops with a sack of female undergarments strong over the shoulder... the figure in question, while only a foot tall, had long black hair and -she- had a sack of men's boxers and briefs strung over her shoulder as she cried out "What a Haul!"

Soun hears the exclamation and cries out, "Oh my beloved and departed wife! How I failed you! My daughter has become a pervert!" A small gnomish figure bashed another one on the head. "Damn it boy, this is all your fault... if you'd of married her in the beginning this'd never of happened!"

"It's not my fault that Akane turned into a pervert pops! And now I can't go anywhere without having by underwear being stolen by her. I've had to buy six new pairs last week alone!"

Off in the distance a wizened old man with a bamboo bokken stands holing a pair of boxers. "Why… why won't you steal mine my fierce tigress!"

Somewhere in Japan a shriveled up old pig squeals in anger. "BWEEE!" Meaning, "Damn you Ranma… you've let Akane become a pervert and she won't steal my shorts!"

Truly a scary scenario… isn't it?


	5. Part 5: The Four Fiancée battle, Round 2

Part 5: The Four Fiancée battle, Round 2

Saturday morning soon dawns… Akane wakes up early and stays in bed, thinking about what could happen later in the day. 'This is it… the fight of my life…' She does some stretches and limbers up, preparing herself for the fight that is now mere hours away.

'I hope it was all worth it… all of the… ugh… training with Happosai…' Akane says as she opens her closet and reaches for her gi, still torn and bloodstained from last week. The tears and marks serve as a reminder to Akane of what happened last time…

Akane changes out of her nightgown and into the gi. As she looks in the mirror at her reflection, her eyes cannot help but be drawn to a certain picture hanging on her wall.

'I hope you appreciate this... cause if not, I'll make you appreciate it…' Akane thinks as she stares at the picture, focusing on Ranma's image. After a few more seconds of looking at the pictures, Akane turns away and heads out of the room. She heads downstairs to make something to eat for herself… and is surprised to find Kasumi awake and in the kitchen, whistling to herself and preparing some food…

"Good morning…"

"Oh, good morning Akane…" Kasumi says as she turns her head to look at her little sister. "Are you ready for the fight today?"

"Of course I am! I'm going to win!" Akane says with her voice filled with energy and pride.

Kasumi smiles in response… she's happy to see her sister ready to fight- not only for her pride, but also for someone who cares for her. Ranma's admission last week about his true feelings for Akane was the clincher in Kasumi's mind. Everyday since then she had been trying to help the both of them realize that there was a bond between them… and it was stronger than either one would readily admit.

A sizzling noise followed by a "hiss" diverts Kasumi's attention for a moment as she returns to cooking breakfast. Akane sniffs the air and feels her stomach rumble…

"That smells good, sis…"

"Why don't you sit down at the table and I'll bring out your breakfast. This is your special day…" Kasumi says as she continues cooking.

Akane turns around, heads into the living room, and sits down at the table. As she sits down, she notices an envelope on the table. 'I wonder what this is?' Upon closer inspection, Akane notices her name plainly written across the front of it. Her curiosity now piqued, she goes to open the envelope…

"Breakfast is served!" Kasumi says as she enters the room. Akane's attention is diverted to the scrumptious food that Kasumi has just set down in front of her.

'I hope that Akane can be that fast on the battlefield today…' Kasumi thinks as she watches Akane quickly eat her breakfast.

"I hope there's some food left for me…" Ranma jokes as he enters the room. Akane looks at him and mumbles something about it being "her special day…" as the food quickly disappears.

"Uh, yeah… it is. Since you mentioned that, umm… Akane…"

"What is it?" Akane asks as she pushes the now empty bowl in front of her away and focuses her attention on Ranma.

"I hope that you…" Ranma stops speaking after noticing Kasumi's glance at him.

'Go for it, Ranma. Say what you need to say…' is the thought passing through Kasumi's mind as she tries to "encourage" Ranma with her glance.

Akane is also waiting for Ranma to finish speaking, wondering… hoping for more words…

Ranma moves closer to Akane and tries to say what he wants to say again… but in a whisper that only she can hear. "I hope… that you win today…"

Before Akane can react, however, two meddling fathers notice the closeness of the pair at this moment and start to shout out with glee.

"Just look at them, Tendo… it's like they're married already!" Genma yells out, not caring if the whole house hears it.

Ranma backs away… and yells back "We're NOT married!"

Akane though is taken aback by him saying that, instead of his usual, 'Why would I want to marry this uncute tomboy!'

"What's going on down here?" Nabiki asks as she enters the room, rubbing her eyes. "It's seven o'clock…" Nabiki yawns. "People are trying to sleep…"

"What's this I hear about marriage?" Nodoka chimes in as she enters the room and heads right towards Ranma. "Are you finally taking Akane as your wife?"

Akane can swear that she hears Ranma mumble "Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse…"

"I'm not ready to get married… I'm only seventeen… I'm not even done with high school yet…" Akane says as she stands up. She grabs the envelope and makes a quick retreat out to the dojo… where she can hopefully be alone for a few minutes to think.

'Ranma… he said that he wanted me to win… does he feel the same way about me? He has to… he didn't even insult me this morning. Come to think of it… he didn't even deny that he wanted to get married…'

Akane contemplates this some more and realizes something about Ranma. 'He wants to get married… he wants me to win... so that would mean…'

"He wants to do perverted things with me!" Akane exclaims out loud, her voice echoing throughout the dojo. She lowers her voice and then says something to herself that she had never thought she'd hear herself say… "I think I like that..."

Akane sighs and then remembers that she still has the envelope in her right hand. She opens up the envelope… and several pictures spill out. Akane's eyes get wider as she picks up the fallen pictures and looks at them.

"What the hell is this?" Akane grumbles to herself, all of her positive feelings about Ranma quickly flying out the window. "I thought he wanted me!"

"Are you in here?" Ranma asks as he opens the door to the dojo. He looks around and finds Akane sitting on the floor and looking at some pictures. For some reason, she has an aura around her now… I wonder why?

"Umm… Akane…" Ranma says as he cautiously moves closer.

"I don't believe this… I thought you wanted me to win…" Akane says as she angrily holds up the pictures.

"Wait a second here!" Ranma exclaims, fully knowing what thoughts could be running through Akane's mind at the moment.

"I thought you wanted me!" With that, Akane pulls out her mallet and sends Ranma flying out of the dojo and into low earth orbit. As he flies into the distance, Akane can swear that she heard a faint "But I do…"

Akane grabs one of the pictures and looks at it, fuming... "You're not going to steal Ranma away from me… those fake tears may have fooled him… but they don't fool me…" Akane takes a better look at the picture and notices that Ukyo's face is etched with pain and heartbreak. "It looks real… damn it! What the hell is going on here? Ukyo looks like she's… she's really… heartbroken…"

"Oh there you are, sis… everyone's looking for you…" Nabiki says as she enters the room. She quickly spots Akane and notices that she's looking at something. "What's that?"

"Nothing…" Akane mumbles as she stuffs the pictures into her pocket. "I'm not going back in there… I'll only get harassed about getting married…"

"Good point…" Nabiki pauses. "Maybe you should stay in here until it's time for the fight… I can tell them that I didn't find you in here…"

"That'd be great… I just wanna be alone right now…" Akane says as she slumps back down on the floor, deep in thought. Nabiki takes her leave and wonders what is going through her sister's head… and hopes that it doesn't affect her performance this afternoon…

Near eleven A.M., the Kuno siblings arrive at the battlefield together.

"Are you ready?" Tatewaki asks his sister as they sit down on the grass.

"Hohohoho… of course… these peons don't stand a chance against the Black Rose…"

Crowds begin to gather as the time for the fight nears. Many of the people who showed up last time are there, as well as some new faces. Most of the students in Furinkan High School are present at this event. Nabiki soon arrives and begins coordinating the betting pool for the main event…

Nabiki notices three figures approaching in the distance… and one appears to be hopping on a pogo stick. 'Must be Cologne and Shampoo… and it looks like Mousse is going to watch too…Akane's gonna have her work cut out for her today…'

"Great-grandmother ready for wedding? Shampoo win for sure today!" Shampoo says as they near the field.

"Of course my child…" Cologne then looks at Mousse. "No tricks… you are not to interfere with the match, even if Shampoo is in trouble. Understood?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Mousse said, still irked about being forced to come with and watch this match.

Ukyo closes up her shop and then slowly makes her way towards the field. 'This is it… I still have to fight… even though… he doesn't love me like that. I still want to be his friend, though… I guess I'll have to use my plan today.' Ukyo's mood suddenly improves. 'I think everyone will be in for a total shock today…'

Nabiki glances at her watch and notices that it's almost twelve noon. 'Where is Akane?'

A few minutes later, Akane arrives and heads over to her sister.

"Where's everyone else? I thought they'd be here by now…" An exasperated Akane says as she looks around at the crowd, trying to find her father, sister, and most importantly, Ranma.

"They'll be here, don't worry…" Nabiki says before getting pulled away by some more people wanting to make bets. Akane continues to search the crowd for her father and the others… unaware that they are all walking together and on their way…

"Hurry up Saotome… we're gonna be late!" Soun exclaims as he walks a little bit faster.

"It's not my fault… I'm not the one who wanted to take a picnic lunch with…" Genma replies back.

"Now, now… let's not worry about that… we need to be concerned about Akane and cheer her on, right son?" Nodoka asks as she glances at her son.

"Um… yeah…" is about all Ranma can say.

"Auntie's right…" Kasumi chimes in. "All of us are here to cheer for Akane…"

Ukyo arrives at the Furinkan High School field and sits down on one of the makeshift sidelines. She recalls some of the words that Nodoka told her, in private yesterday. 'I understand you have feelings for my son… but you know that he cares for Akane. He still loves you… but in a different way. It's up to you as to what you do with this fight tomorrow… you can make Ranma your enemy or your friend. We'll talk more after this fight is over…'

'This ain't gonna be easy…' Ukyo thinks as she looks across the field, catching glimpses of Shampoo and Kodachi, who are seated nearby. 'They look pretty tough… but no one's gonna stop me today… no one…'

Kodachi meanwhile notices Akane wandering around on another part of the field. "With no weapons, she will be the first one out… no one can stand up to the Black Rose… hohohoho…"

Kuno glances at Akane and then at his sister. "She appears to have done some training… she is now wearing a black belt…"

"That means nothing…" Kodachi claims as she turns her thoughts back to the fight that would soon begin.

Kodachi isn't the only one that notices Akane's new black belt… Cologne's discerning eye catches this change in the Tendo girl.

"Akane now has a black belt… and I feel a stronger aura from Akane… do not let your guard down…"

"Belt color not mean Akane invincible… Shampoo will still win…" A confident Shampoo replies back.

A few minutes later, Nabiki grabs a megaphone and starts gathering the crowd around the fighting area.

"Ladies and Gentleman… boys and girls… it's time for the main event. Which one of these four women will be left standing? The winner will be Ranma Saotome's one and only fiancée…" Nabiki points at Ranma, who had just sat down in the front row. "This man's future will be settled in the next few minutes…"

Ranma turns aside and whispers to his mother. "Great, she just keeps on heapin' the attention on me…"

"Oh, calm down son. These girls want to be with you so much… but they have to settle their differences once and for all…" Nodoka pauses and then starts digging into the nearby picnic basket. "Here, have a sandwich…"

Ranma rolls his eyes and takes the sandwich and starts munching on it. He notices the four girls converging in the center of the field. 'Is Akane wearing a… black belt? When'd she get that? The only one that could've given her that is… the old man…'

The four girls walk towards the center of field. Determined looks are on the faces of each one… all four are ready to fight. Nabiki has a sweatdrop after looking at the four women… four large battle auras begin to surge and light up the area.

"You're going down…" Ukyo says to Shampoo in an attempt to fight her first… as per her plan.

"Spatula girl not win Ranma…"

"We'll see…" Ukyo says in a lower tone voice. "We'll see…"

Nabiki grabs her megaphone and says… "Ready… and fight!"

Akane smiles at hearing her sisters' words… she has been itching to get started. 'This is it Akane… let's do it…'

Shampoo begins by thrusting her bonbories at Ukyo, who parries and deflects them with her spatula. The clang of metal on metal is heard as the two combatants continue their attacks. To start her attack, Kodachi lets a flurry of black rose petals loose into the air, just as a sudden breeze fills the air. Akane jumps off to the side and rolls away, just barely dodging the cloud of rose petals.

"You dodged my paralysis attack… but you won't get away…"

A snapping sound is heard mere inches from Akane's ear a moment later. 'Damn, she's faster than last time… it's time to go on offense…' Akane takes a quick breath and waits for Kodachi to attack again.

Just a few feet away, the struggle continues between Ukyo and Shampoo. Both are giving their all… but no one is gaining the advantage. Shampoo decides to try one of her new attacks and without warning, starts back flipping away from Ukyo.

"Amazon technique… super strength soba attack!"

Strands of noodles fly out from Shampoo's hands and head toward Ukyo. A quick block by Ukyo prevents them from getting a hold of her neck, where they had been aimed. Unfortunately, her Spatula is caught and after a few seconds of struggle, pulled away and thrown onto the ground.

'Damn it…' Ukyo curses under her breath as another noodle attack flies her way. Ukyo quickly reaches for one of her smaller spatulas and starts to spin it, slicing the incoming noodles to pieces. "Nice try, but you'll need more than that to beat this chef…"

"Hmmpph…" Shampoo mumbles as she charges headlong at Ukyo. Ukyo quickly puts her spatula away and prepares for hand to hand combat…

'She's quicker then before… this girl has truly done some training…' Kodachi thinks as Akane tries to go on the offense against her. 'One of my pins hit her… and she did not even flinch…'

Akane is beginning to get nervous. All of her hard work over the last week wasn't paying off as well as she thought it would… 'I'm still on defense here… and she got in a few blows, the pin really hurt…'

Akane focuses her energy and her purple battle aura continues to gain in strength and intensity. 'Time for some… unorthodox moves…'

Most of the eyes watching the battle shifted over to Akane and Kodachi after the two got close enough to engage in hand to hand combat… Kodachi of course is using a few tricks besides that…

Some of the spectators gasped, however, as they watched some of the moves that Akane was now doing…

"Oh my… that was… well…" Nodoka cannot finish her sentence, still in some shock from what she just witnessed Akane do.

"It seems like old Happosai taught her some of those dirty moves of his…" Ranma commented aloud. 'She's doing good… but she needs to watch her back… Shampoo and Ukyo are mighty close…'

"Oh my…" Kasumi exclaimed as Akane nearly got hit with a mallet swing. Soun cringed as well… his daughter was in the fight of her life… and was at great risk. "Hang in there Akane!" he yelled, trying to encourage his daughter.

Nabiki sighed aloud. "This is getting crazy… the four of them are practically back to back with each other… someone's gonna get double teamed… I can feel it…"

True to Nabiki's words, Shampoo, noticing Akane and Kodachi's situation, decides to join the fray. She pushes Ukyo away and jumps headlong at Akane, preparing to attack her and tie her up since Cologne had instructed her to not employ lethal attacks, knowing the consequences if someone was to get killed today.

After falling to the ground as a result of Shampoo's sudden, energetic push, Ukyo feels her heart beat even faster. 'Akane's about to get hit... badly...and I think Kodachi sees her coming...' Ukyo rushes into action and runs towards Akane… only to hear…

"OWWW!" The Black Rose cried out as Shampoo hit her in the back. Akane saw Shampoo at the last second and pulled Kodachi towards her to use as a human shield. Oooh's were heard from the crowd… the pain that the girl was in now was quite obvious…

"My fierce tigress hath not only gotten out of that trap… but put my sister in it…" Kuno comments aloud to Sasuke, who had finally arrived just a few minutes prior.

"It appears that Mistress Kodachi is in trouble now… Shampoo is tying something around her wrists…"

"Indeed…" Kuno says as he shakes his head. 'Akane Tendo surely hath gained speed and skill in the last week… and is certainly employing some… interesting moves…'

Akane backs away from Kodachi as she struggles to get out of the hold that Shampoo has on her. Akane's eyebrows go up as Ukyo quickly moves in closer… 'There goes my chance to catch my breath… but knowing Shampoo, Kodachi won't be able to do anything for a while…'

Ukyo notices Akane raising her guard and realizes that this is a perfect opportunity to hit all three of them at once. 'Time to use that special attack I've been working on all week…'

Akane prepares for an attack… just before Ukyo is in range, however, she jumps over Akane and heads for a bucket of water that is sitting near the sidelines. 'What the hell is she gonna do with a bucket?' Akane thinks as Ukyo begins quickly opening a nearby box… which went unnoticed to all of the other combatants.

"Ukyo's super secret attack… Flour Bomb!"

With lightning speed, Ukyo reaches into the box and begins hurling small packages of flour, which begin to hit the other three girls. Akane tries to dodge the attack but is overwhelmed by the sheer number of packages in the air and is soon covered in flour. Shampoo, who was putting the finishing touches on Kodachi's "noodle handcuffs", is hit several times in the head. The spillover from the exploding packages land on Kodachi, causing her to cough and curse her situation…

'Time for some water…'

Ukyo reaches down for the bucket of water and throws the water contained therein towards the other three fighters, hoping to totally disable Kodachi and eliminate Shampoo completely from the tournament. A collection of "ooh's" are heard from the sideline as the water heads towards the other girls.

Mousse and Cologne gasp… knowing full well that Shampoo will change into a cat if that water hits her. Ukyo smirks and takes a step backwards… kicking the other bucket of water back towards the sidelines. A soft curse is heard a moment later as Ranma-chan looks down at her clothes. Genma-panda holds up a sign saying "Why me !"

Kasumi and Nabiki look at the newly transformed pair and realize that those two are in trouble. Nodoka turns around and gasps.

"Ranko? Mr. Panda? Where did…"

Without even thinking, Nodoka reaches for her kitana. At the first glint of light dancing on the sword's edge, Ranma-chan and Genma-panda run for their lives… neither one wants to get disembowled.

"Wait! Wait!" Nodoka says as she gets on her feet and gives chase. Before turning their attention back to the fight, Nabiki makes an offhand comment to Kasumi.

"Well… it was bound to happen one day. Secrets don't stay secret for long around here…"

Kasumi nods her head and both sister return their attention to fight…

A few hours later in the Tendo house, finds an exhausted Ranma hiding in room. 'I managed to avoid mom… and turn myself back… but what's gonna happen next? Why'd it have ta happen while Akane was fighting?'

Ranma puts his hands on his face and begins to silently weep. 'I wonder what happened with that fight? Knowing my luck Kodachi somehow won and I'm gonna be engaged to her...' he then has a full body shudder as he contemplates being engaged to her.

'Maybe Shampoo won and I'll be on a fast train to China… I'm not sure about Ukyo… we did talk about this before the fight. Damn it… why me? Now my mom knows about my curse… I don't wanna die…'

Ranma's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a woman's voice in the distance. "Ranma… Ranma… where are you?"

'Oh no…' Ranma thinks as his body goes on alert. 'She's back…'

The voice gets closer and closer… making Ranma feel more and more on edge… until he can make out who's speaking. 'It's… Akane!'

The closet door slowly opens and Ranma cautiously sticks his head out. He softly calls out to Akane several times before she appears in the hallway.

"Ranma!" A tearful Akane cries out as she rushes towards him. "I was looking for you… why are you hiding in the closet?"

"It's a long story…" Ranma says as he looks at Akane, her gi covered in white powder and numerous tears, some of which have a red streak. "Are you okay? You're… crying…"

Ranma cannot help but fear the worst because of Akane's current condition and her current emotional state. 'This could be it for us... after today... I may never get to see her again... hear her laugh... or even just get to be around her... I know she's got a bad temper... but... I may never see her smile again... I... I don't wanna forget this... I gotta do something... I gotta... I gotta... if I gotta go… I am gonna go with this being the best memories I've got. I'm gonna make this special for her too. There's one thing I wanna do... wanna say... before it's too late...'

"I don't care if ya won or not Akane... I... I love you..." Ranma nervously leans in and kisses Akane. Ranma takes his time and enjoys every moment of her soft lips against his, not knowing if it could be the last time he can kiss her. Akane's eyes close and she cannot believe that this is real… 'Is he really kissing me? It feels so… good…'

After the kiss a tearful and excited Akane is really happy… and she tells him- "But Ranma... I... I... " Akane passes out from the fatigue, exhilaration, as well as the fact running though her mind that he said he loves her and he kissed her.

To be continued in Chapter 6: And the Winner is…

In the next episode: Will Akane tell Ranma that she lost and confess her love to him in their last moments together? Or will she tell him that she somehow pulled off a miracle and won? Tune in next time, as we answer these and other questions... does Nabiki wear panties to bed? Does Kodachi like being tied up by other girls?


	6. Chapter 6: And the Winner is…

Chapter 6: And the Winner is…

Sorry about the cliffhanger… and no, those questions at the end of the last chapter about Nabiki and Kodachi were just there for fun. I hope that you, the reader enjoy this chapter… it certainly is different that most would expect. Thanks to Chris for the massive preread and tense fixing.

After Akane falls asleep in his arms, Ranma takes stock of his current situation. 'I still don't know who won… but I gotta keep hidden…' Ranma gently backs up and pulls Akane into the closet and closes the door. Akane's eyes flutter open…

"Ranma…"

"You were gonna tell me something a second ago… but you passed out…" Ranma replies back. What he hears next surprises him…

"Ranma… I won…"

"Really?" Ranma asks, hoping that he isn't hearing things. "You beat the other three girls?"

"Well… Kodachi was already out when you disappeared. It was me versus Ukyo and Shampoo…" Akane says and then sighs. "The match ended in a way that I didn't expect to happen…" After a brief pause, Akane asks Ranma a question. "Why did Ukyo come and see you yesterday? Someone left me pictures of you two in an envelope…"

"Well, umm…" Ranma says, not knowing how Akane will react. "She wanted to know my… you know… feelings towards her. I told her that I loved her… like a sister…"

Akane considers Ranma's words and realizes that was why Ukyo was so depressed and heartbroken in those pictures that she saw this morning. 'I should have known that was the case… it explains why she fought the way she did today…'

Ranma, feeling a bit excited about the fact that Akane just won, presses her for more details about the fight. "Tell me what happened after I ran off… I wanna know…"

Akane smiles. "Well, you could just watch it on tape… Nabiki had the match videotaped… but I'll tell you what happened. My dad was so worried about me that he was running up and down the sidelines, shouting my name… that's why he wasn't there when you got hit with the water…"

Akane, feeling tired from the match earlier, falls asleep again. Ranma moves his body slightly, allowing her head to rest on his chest. 'She must have really given it her all… the way she keeps falling asleep on me…'

Ranma uses this quiet time to look at the woman who fought so hard… for him. His eyes, despite the low amount of light entering the closet, notice her hair and how it's wild on the ends. The faint smell of the strawberry shampoo she used in the morning fills Ranma's nostrils. 'I'm close to her… and she's not hitting me… not calling me a pervert…' Ranma is experiencing a warm feeling, both inside and out that is very unfamiliar to him.

Time passes and Ranma yawns. 'It's been a long day… and I'm feeling tired…' He tries to keep awake but soon succumbs to his body's desire for sleep. A little while later another member of the household, who is searching for Ranma, opens the closet door and then gasps.

Ranma hears an all too familiar voice... "Oh my! Ranma, I don't think it's proper to lock yourself in the closet with my sister, at least not until you're married..." Ranma, now totally awake, carefully moves his hands off of Akane and waves them frantically as he tries to convey the meaning of his words.

"Umm... well... it's not what you think..." Ranma says nervously... by doing that, however, she starts to fall... and he deftly catches her again. His face is now inches away from hers... Ranma begins to blush.

"Oh my, Ranma... are you sure that's proper behavior for being in a closet?" Kasumi asks, concerned about what she sees happening right in front of her eyes. The closeness between Ranma and Akane surprises her, given their past histories and inabilities to speak about what is truly on their mind.

Nabiki opens the door, and sees Kasumi. She asks if she's seen Ranma at all, to which Kasumi replies innocently... "Ranma and Akane are in the closet"

Nabiki is very surprised, she asks a quick question- "What 'ARE' they doing in the closet?"

A befuddled Kasumi can only manage to say... "They're sleeping together..." Nabiki "Eeeps" and her eyes bug out at this comment on the part of Kasumi. Finally, Ranma manages to find his voice and yells out: "Hey, I'm not sleeping with her..."

Kasumi quickly responds... "But isn't she sleeping with you?" Nabiki can no longer contain her curiosity; she rushes into the room and quickly walks over to the closet. She looks down at the floor of the closet and sees Ranma and Akane... Akane is obviously asleep in his arms. She suddenly has a smirk on her lips and a twinkle in her eye... "You're right, sis. She 'IS' sleeping with Ranma..."

Ranma has a sleeping Akane in his arms, and Kasumi and Nabiki are watching his every move. He can't think of a way out of the situation... but he doesn't need to. For one of the few times in his life, Ranma is actually happy to hear his father bellowing to him. Ranma decides to take advantage of this opportunity to escape. He slowly stands up, and carries Akane over to his futon. He gently places her down and carefully covers her, then heads out to the hallway. Nabiki makes a comment on his way out... "Bedding my sister already Saotome?" Ranma just ignores the comment and walks towards his dad. About five seconds after exiting his room however, he is again startled by a familiar voice... this one he definitely did not want to hear...

"My son is such a MAAAAN!" Nodoka's voice rings through the hallway, piercing Ranma to the bone. He instantly goes on guard and becomes very, very afraid. Genma, however, silently mouths the words 'It's okay... don't worry...' Ranma still hesitates but walks slowly down the hallway towards his father. Both enter the room and sit down in front of Nodoka. Without warning, she glomps her son and starts talking.

"My son is so manly, he can't wait for the honeymoon... he's already bedded her…"

Ranma's brain is nearly fried by her comments... he never imagined that his mother would say something like that. Genma chuckles at his wife's comment... he then turns his head and yells "You hear that, Tendo... the schools will be joined for sure now..." This triggers the preeminent Tendo waterworks display, which is in full effect at this point. He begins wailing about how his daughter's purity has been taken before the wedding...

Ranma is close to hyperventilating at this point... his eyes bug out and his jaw drops to the ground.

"Umm... what... huh?"

His head is shooting back and forth between Genma and Nodoka... trying to figure out what's going on. Nodoka jumps in and says "Hush now, Mr. Tendo... if we have the wedding this week, then no one will know the truth about Akane already having been in Ranma's bed... or maybe already being Pregnant!

Before a thoroughly confused Ranma can manage to give a reply, he is saved (sort of) by Kasumi, who enters the room and says... "Oh my! But all Ranma did was let Akane fall asleep in his bed. He hasn't had time to do anything else yet..." Ranma manages to mumble a "Thanks Kasumi" before noticing his mother's crestfallen and dejected expression...

"I was so looking forward to grandchildren..."

Ranma rolls his eyes and sighs aloud. He finally manages to speak... and does something that catches everyone's attention. "But we didn't do anything! She's just asleep. Nothin' happened... geez you guys are really ruining everything for me... we're just trying to get along right now... if it wasn't for pops an' Mr. Tendo..." Ranma stops for a moment, looks at Genma, and then continues. "...pushing us so hard to get married, Akane and I may've been friends... or more... but you two had to keep stickin' your stupid noses into our lives! An' because of that she hated me!"

Nabiki, who has been listening from the hallway, lets off a soft whistle to herself and thinks 'Ranma's really getting into this... who knew the jock had it in him. Damn! I wish I had my recorder.'

Nodoka blinks and wonders to herself... 'She's hated him? I didn't know that...' She slowly releases Ranma from her hug and starts to ponder what he just said.

Ranma takes this opportunity to stand up, deciding to express himself... what Akane just did for him has affected him in a way that he never expected. "Akane- what did she fight for? For her pride? For her family name? Or did she fight for me? We argue and fight and insult each other all the time... but she still fought..." Ranma lowers his head and then continues. "Me... a stupid freak with a Baka-curse. Why'd she do it? Why?"

Kasumi stands beside Ranma and gently places her hand on his shoulder. "Ranma, despite what she has said before, I know my sister cares for you very very deeply."

"But why?" He asks, his voice carrying the desperation and pain that many did not think he was capable of feeling.

"We are not her, but you may want to ask her yourself."

"But I can't! Everytime I try to talk to her all we manage to do is to insult each other and fight."

"My son..." Nodoka says softly.

Kasumi smiles at him and asks, "Ranma, do you remember what we talked about a few nights ago?"

"Yea but what's that..."

"If you meant it, then isn't it time to show her?"

"But... how?"

Kasumi begins to explain what Ranma needs to do… "You can start by..."

"I know!" Shouts Genma, cutting Kasumi off. "You can take her..."

A sudden splash of water and Genma is making growling noises as a panda again. "Really, he's not one to listen to about this," Nabiki says with a sigh.

"Ok... um Nabiki... how... I mean... I wanna... but..." Being unable to really bring his thoughts into words, he finally sighs and asks, "What do I do?"

"Ranma, my son..." Nodoka says softly.

"Yea mom?"

"What is it that you want? Do you wish to take her out on a date or is there something else?"

"Well... um... kinda... I guess."

"You guess."

"Well, I..."

"What he means Auntie..." Nabiki cuts in, trying to help him. "Is that his fool of a father never taught him how to talk to, or treat a lady properly."

"NEVER?" "I see," she continues, while shooting a deathlike look to a now shivering Panda. "Well then I guess if you are serious about this then you need to start with first asking her out somewhere, like to a park. There you will have few distractions and you two can just talk..."

"But that's not the problem!" He whines.

"How so?" Nodoka asks.

He sighs dejectedly. "Everytime we talk... something happens and we just end up arguing and calling each other names and stuff."

"Then I believe its time you become a man and stop the childish name calling," Nodoka says sternly causing Ranma to flinch.

"Yes momma..."

"As punishment, for calling her any names... I will..." Nodoka thinks about what she can do to cause him to want to grow up and finally comes up with a plan. "For each name you call her, you... and your father will skip a meal."

WHAT!" Ranma shouts and then clamps a hand over his mouth.

Panda-Genma runs up behind Ranma and hits him with a sign then shoves the sign into Ranma's face. "Please boy! Don't shout at your mother ever again!" the sign reads.

Ranma sighs inwardly at the thought of this punishment, it'll be quite a difficult task to accomplish... but one worth trying he quickly decides. A thought then strikes Ranma, "Um... Kasumi... is dinner ready?"

Kasumi smiles at him, "Why yes it is, would you like some?" A glint comes to his eyes that both Nodoka and Nabiki notice, "Sure, I'll go wake up that uncute tomboy and..."

"Ranma!" Nodoka and Kasumi admonish simultaneously.

"Oh... um… I guess I'll skip dinner then..." With a smile and a wave he returns to his room leaving a rather shocked panda behind.

"GROWF!" A very heartbroken and tearful panda cries.

"Oh my... Auntie, I guess since Ranma insulted Akane then he should miss dinner…"

"GROWF!" A very heartbroken and tearful panda cried.

"Well dear... I think we will just make him suffer without dinner only."

Ranma chuckles to himself as he walks down the hallway towards his room. His plan had worked out perfectly at the cost of a meal or two. He enters the room and finds the sleeping Akane still lying there, fast asleep in his futon. Ranma sits down next to her and stares at his sleeping fiancée and thinks about her and what just happened, along with his mother's words.

'Akane... she can be such a mystery sometimes. I think Kasumi was right, though. Who else would endure a whole week of Happosai's training just to win the fight... I can't bear to think of it. That old man... who knows what he may have done to her...'

Akane stirs for a moment and rolls over. Ranma can see a contented look on her face along with a smile... he thinks to himself: 'She must be dreaming... and she looks happy'

Ranma decides to think about how to approach Akane before waking her up. Talking is his first priority... both of them need to talk about certain pressing issues. He quietly talks to himself, being careful not to awaken the sleeping Akane.

"She looks so peaceful when she's asleep... she must have been totally exhausted by that fight earlier. I know that lately there's been some problems between us... but I could swear she's been trying to control herself a little better" Ranma pauses and takes a deep breath and then continues. "She had every right to be angry at me for that doll incident... I nearly lost her because that doll had possessed her. Akane really went after me... but I felt... bad about what happened. I keep saving her and she's even saved me a few times..."

Akane stirs again and Ranma goes silent. He wants to get these thoughts off of his chest but is not yet ready to tell Akane face to face. He continues to talk to himself softly after Akane settles down again.

"I had no idea... that it was you in that doll or that the evil doll took your place. Everytime I think about that, I can't help but wonder what would've happened if you hadn't shown up... I could've lost you. I barely even know yah, but I'm... I'm... scared to lose you. The worst part is, I don't even know how to get to know yah... everytime we get to talk, all we do is argue and fight." Ranma chuckles. "Pops ain't never told me about what to do with a girl, all he ever taught me was how to fight..." Ranma closes his fist and then looks at it. "That's all I know... at the time, I thought it was all I'd ever need to know. Now all that training seems to be... useless."

Akane looks at Ranma wide-eyed, she had never expected to hear him say such things. He fails to notice the fact that she is now sitting up and staring at him. Ranma is off in his own world...

"Scared..." Ranma says softly. "Imagine, me sayin' I'm scared of anythin'. Hell if pops knew, he'd try and beat me up for it an' say that I was bein' weak an all. But damn it... It seems I keep getting scared around you."

Akane looks at him, not sure what to say or how to respond to that. She carefully lays herself back down on the futon and looks at him as he continues.

"I thought I was scared before... but today... I was terrified. I thought... I thought I might lose you. Kasumi asked me a few nights ago if I loved you... and... and... and I do. I couldn't say it then... but she knew. And I'm scared to tell you cause I'm scared of what could happen, and that you'd say..."

Sighing Ranma looks up from his hands and just stares up at the ceiling. "What the hell do I do now? I ain't got a clue how to talk to you, an everyone seems to think I need to do something, but what? I know pops an' your dad want us to get married... but... I don't think we're ready for that yet. I mean how can we really get married if we don't really even know each other yet?"

"Damn it Akane... why can't I ever say anything to yah when yer awake... I must be a coward. I can't even talk to you when you're awake. I wish... I wish I could make you understand me… an'..."

Akane decides now would be a good time to let Ranma know that she's awake and has been listening to him pour his heart out. She looks intently at Ranma and says...

"You just did... I've been listening all along..." Ranma freaks out for a moment, he could have sworn that she was asleep.

"Akane... I... um... you see... um..."

She is touched by his words and she does not want to ruin the moment. "Shush..." she says softly as she places a finger on his lips causing him to become stiff as a board. "I'm... I... I'm s-sorry... I never really understood you before. I mean we were engaged, but I don't think I ever really knew the 'real' you. You have to understand that the only boys I knew that gave me any attention where those idiots that Kuno got to fight me every morning. So when you showed up and I was going to be forced to marry you... I hated it." She adds the last part softly and hearing her say that she hated it causes Ranma's eyes to open wide. "God this is hard..." Akane says softly before continuing.

"What was I supposed to do?" She lets out a sigh and then sits back on her knees and looks at him. "And then at first you were a girl... and then suddenly you were a boy... I... I... " She thinks back to what he had said and feels guilty for what she had put him though. "I was scared Ranma, and I panicked. It was easier to just call you a pervert and treat you just like all the others. The only time I had anything against your curse was when you misused it, like when you have a taste on sweets..."

Ranma nods his head, acknowledging her words. "My umm... mom. She kinda had an idea..."

Akane hears these words and patiently waits to hear about this idea. "Okay... tell me about it..."

"She said that maybe I should umm... take you to the park or somethin', you know... so we can talk without being distracted... or disturbed by the Dumbatic Duo."

Akane smiles at his comment, "Sure… that sounds like a good idea…"

She then slowly gets to her feet but suddenly feels lightheaded. She begins to fall but Ranma catches her in his arms before she hits the ground.

"I don't think you're up for doing anythin' today… I think you should rest…" Ranma says, concerned about her condition.

Akane sighs and then looks up at Ranma. "Maybe you're right… but before I do that, I want to watch the fight with you… so I can explain what happened…"

In response to her request, Ranma stoops down and turns his back to her. He then motions to her and says "Get on, and let's go find your sister…"

Akane carefully climbs onto Ranma's back and holds on tightly as he stands up and walks over to Nabiki's room. After knocking twice, Nabiki finally says "Come in". Ranma enters the room and as expected, Nabiki snaps off a smart comment about the couple.

"So Ranma... I see you've swept my baby sister off her feet already... were you planning on ravishing her body here for me to watch and videotape, or was there something else you wanted?" As she says this, she leans forward teasing him by letting him catch a glimpse of the tops of her breasts.

Ranma blushes but then remembers why he even bothered to deal with Nabiki and her antics. "Lighten up Nabiki. Akane here says you got a tape or something of today's fight…"

"But of course… it was quite the fight you know… Akane here sure did us proud…" Nabiki says as she looks at her sister, who is barely managing to stay awake on Ranma's shoulder. "I take it that you wanna see what you missed of the fight…"

Ranma nods his head. "Yeah… I wanna see how Akane beat the other three girls…"

"Well, normally I'd charge a viewing fee… but… I'm in a good mood today…" Nabiki says as she eyes a stack of large bills on her desk… profit from today's gambling enterprise. She reaches for a VHS tape and hands it to Ranma. "No charge…"

Ranma's jaw drops. "I must be hearing things… I could've sworn I heard Nabiki say no charge…" A weary Akane says softly.

Ranma decides to mess with Akane a little. "You're asleep… and this is all a dream…"

"Oh…" Akane says softly. Akane decides to give into some of her desires… since this is a dream. Ranma is surprised to feel Akane kissing his neck a moment later. 'That feels good…' Ranma thinks as Nabiki's eyebrows begin to go up…

"Very clever, Ranma…" Nabiki says as her sister continues to kiss Ranma's neck. He begins to tremble a little bit, causing Akane to open her eyes.

"Ranma… what's Nabiki doing in my dream?" Akane asks innocently.

"Well, umm…" Is about all the blushing martial artist can say.

"Oh nothing little sister... I'm just here to make sure that you bed Ranma properly" Nabiki says with a smirk.

"Oh..." The half asleep Akane says and then instead of kissing Ranma's neck she begins to lick him lightly at first as her hands start to caress his chest.

By now, Ranma's mind is very close to shutting down completely. He begins to become even more acutely aware of her slender legs wrapped around his waist squeezing him seductively as he holds onto them there. He can even feel her ample chest as it presses into his back softly. But her tongue on his neck has the majority of his attention... even though her hands are rubbing his chest... it's her tongue that has his mind turning to goo. Then she starts nibbling on his ear making his legs weak.

Nabiki just blinks at her little sister and then starts to frantically think of a way to get them out of her room before Akane does decide to take him to bed. And Nabiki would prefer they not use her bed for this. "A-Akane... why don't you..."

She was interrupted by a faint yet familiar sound from Akane... "Zzzzzzzz"

Ranma's half open eyes slowly began to focus again. "That... was... close…" He softly says to himself.

A wagging finger gets Ranma's attention a moment later. "That's what you get for lying to my sister, Ranma… well... why don't you take her to bed... I mean put her in her own bed..."

Ranma slowly nods his head and turns around to walk off. However as he turns around and leaves, Nabiki can only think of one thing. "So that's why they call him a wild horse..." Then quickly shaking her head, she moves to open her window to allow a little cool air into her room.

'Akane was about to get hot and heavy with Ranma just now… I'm glad she fell asleep. Who knew that she had all these desires bottled up inside of her… since she's always calling people perverts and such…'

Ranma's curiosity still has the best of him as he heads downstairs. 'I gotta know how she won… won for me…' He puts the VHS tape in the VCR which Nabiki had set up just a few days ago and hits play. As Ranma sits down on the floor, Akane's eyes flutter open again and she notices what's playing on the TV screen.

"So she decided to let you get the tape after all…" Akane yawns, referring to Nabiki.

"Yeah… and for free. I wanna see how you won…"

"It wasn't easy, Ranma… but I'm glad I took the time to train… it made all the difference, as you'll see…" She says sleepily.

Akane slowly gets off of Ranma's back and sits down next to him in front of the TV. Ranma watches with rapt attention, especially after the part where he had to run for his life. He makes some mental notes about what he sees on the screen… 'She definitely was using some of the old man's tricks… but it was just a fist fight for the most part there…'

"That was a little crazy…" Akane says, commenting at the three-way fist-fight that ensued after Ukyo's flour bomb attack. "Ukyo ended up double-teaming Shampoo with me… she didn't last too long…"

"I bet Shampoo was pissed off… 'cause of being double-teamed there…"

"Well… she's lucky that she didn't get turned into a cat… Ukyo almost got her with that water…" Akane says as her eyes turn to look at Ranma. "Watch the screen… cause what happens next really surprised me…"

Ranma watches the TV with rapt attention. Ukyo is now facing Akane, one on one.

"Listen to what she says…" Akane says as she starts to relive the events that are on the TV screen in her own mind.

Ranma reaches for the volume control and turns it up… just in time to hear Akane talking.

"I won't let you take Ranma from me… you don't know what I went through to train for this fight…"

Ukyo shakes her head and reaches for her spatula. Ranma turns and looks at Akane… who's sporting a red blush on her face. Akane slowly turns and looks at Ranma… and is surprised to find a strange smile on his face. To draw attention away from her face, she motions at the TV screen. Ranma turns his head and watches as Ukyo salutes Akane.

"This is gonna end… but not in the way you think it will…"

A confused Akane on the TV screen goes on guard... and is surprised to see Ukyo turn around and walk towards the sidelines.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Akane says as she begins to follow the chef.

Ukyo turns around for a moment. "You'd better treat him right… or else…" After making this comment, she continues walking away from Akane. She soon disappears into the crowds that had gathered for the fight.

Akane remains rooted to the spot, motionless- even after Nabiki makes an announcement saying that Akane is the winner… since Ukyo left the field. Soun and Kasumi run up to Akane and both give her a hug and begin to congratulate her.

"So that's what happened…"

"Yeah…" Akane says as she slowly nods her head.

The TV screen begins to show a view of the crowds dispersing… a few lucky people head over to Nabiki to collect… but most of the gamblers go away empty handed.

"Looks like Nabiki made a killing today… only a few people are collecting money from her…" Ranma says as the screen starts to blank out.

Akane shakes her head. "I wasn't the favorite to win… I think Shampoo was." Akane turns and smiles at Ranma. "I guess I beat the odds…"

"Yeah… ummm… yah certainly did…" Ranma says as he returns her smile. There's a few moment of silence before a voice is heard in the distance.

"Those were some interesting… moves, Akane…" Nodoka says as she enters the room. "I talked to Master Happosai and he mentioned your training… you must have really wanted to be with my son if you learned techniques of that... nature."

Akane blushes and then looks at Nodoka.

"Ranma here is certainly the most interesting guy I've ever met… ever since he came into my life…" Akane stops and looks at Ranma. Her eyes narrow. "There's been nothing but trouble…"

"Gee thanks…" is Ranma's reply a moment later.

"I'm sure she didn't mean that… right, Akane?' Nodoka looks sternly at Akane.

Looking at her hands that are resting in her lap, Akane speaks softly. "I... I just never knew where I stood, or what to do. One minute he was nice and kind... the next he's acting like a complete jerk." She lets out a soft sigh. "What was I supposed to think when I went from being single, to engaged, and then find out that my fiancée has so many other fiancées as well... and... and it felt like he cared for them more... but he kept coming back to me... why... it... it just hurt so much..."

"Akane... I..." Ranma starts to say but Akane cuts him off.

Even though he insulted me so many times each day... he was always protecting me, and just... he went through so much just for me..." She slowly looks up to the Saotome matriarch. "Tell me Auntie, what should I have done... what could I do? I... I never even understood how I really felt."

"Oh Akane..." Nodoka says sadly while thinking that a certain panda was definitely going to get something tonight... and it was going to be a piece of her mind... and her sword.

"None of us... have ever really learned how to just… to just... talk to each other without insults... I... I was just so mad since he showed up that every time I talked to him I just... I couldn't help it... and when he'd say something, it'd end up sounding like an insult too. So I went off on him."

"Akane... I... I'm sorry..." Ranma says sadly.

"Akane... dear... Give my son a chance… he's had a very… hard 11 years. My husband is definitely to blame for not teaching Ranma how to deal with women, among other things. I think once you two get a chance to really talk to each other more, you'll fight with each other less…" Nodoka pauses to smile at the teens. "I already know that you've confessed your love for each other…"

"Mooooom!" A red-faced Ranma exclaims almost immediately. Akane glances at Ranma and then looks back at Nodoka, a slight blush creeping across her face as well.

Kasumi peeks her head into the room. "Dinner is ready…"

Nodoka nods her head. "We'll be right there…" Nodoka extends a hand out to Akane and helps her to her feet. Both women head for the kitchen… but Akane stops and asks Nodoka a question.

"What about Ranma? Isn't he eating?"

"No… he's being punished… he has to skip dinner tonight…" Is the reply back a moment later.

"Oh…" Akane says as she takes a glance at Ranma before heading into the kitchen. Ranma sighs and then gets back on his feet. Since he can't eat dinner, he decides to go upstairs to his room and meditate… 'So much happened today… Akane and I talked and didn't get mad at each other… wow… that's new'

Downstairs at the dinner table, Akane is pretty quiet. Exhaustion from the battle is the main reason for this… but she's also thinking about Nodoka's explanation of why Ranma is being punished. 'Why'd he insult me? There has to be a reason… and I'm gonna make him tell me after dinner…'

Soun looks over at his daughter and wonders if anything is wrong. "Akane, are you alright? You're pretty quiet this evening…"

"Oh, it's nothing…" Akane replies as she reaches for more rice when an idea suddenly strikes her… one that'll make Ranma talk for sure. Casting a quick glance around the table, Akane makes her move, and then smiles as no one apparently notices. However, Kasumi had noticed Akane's "theft" of an eggroll from the plate and how she didn't eat it, which made her wonder if it was food for Ranma.

Around the table, the family exchanges small talk, trying to ignore how pathetic Genma looks sitting in the adjoining room and not at the dinner table as usual. As per his 'punishment' that Nodoka is imposing. Yet she has yet to vocalize her feelings about the way her husband has raised Ranma. So while the rest of the family knew he was being punished, they did not know why.

A little while later, Akane finishes her food and pushes her plate forward. "I'm full and I can't eat another bite…"

"Why don't you go upstairs and get some rest, dear- you've certainly had a long day" Nodoka says as she stands up. "Do you need any help to get upstairs?"

"I'll be fine…" Akane replies as she slowly stands up. "Good night"

"Good night" Is the reply back from everyone else at the table.

After Akane walks out of the room, Genma pulls out a bottle of sake hoping that at least this would not be taken from him. "We should celebrate Tendo! After all, Akane won and Ranma has only one fiancée now! The schools will finally be joined!"

"I'll drink to that, Saotome…" Soun heartily says, causing Nabiki to sigh aloud.

"I'm going to my room… I'm not gonna stay around and watch you two get drunk…" Nabiki says as she stands up.

Nodoka looks firmly at her husband. "That's alright Nabiki dear, because my husband will not be drinking tonight if he knows what's good for him."

"Huh?" Is about all the stunned Genma can say in reply.

Genma sweats and looks at his wife with a worried grin. "Ah yes... sorry Tendo my friend... but... I have urgent matters to attend to... so we will have to postpone our um..."

"Genma Saotome..." Nodoka warns.

"Yes dear..." he replies with his head hung low.

'Wow… I don't believe this. She's in total control of him…' Nabiki thinks to herself as her eyebrows go up. For his part, Soun glances nervously at Nodoka and prays that she says nothing to him.

Genma and Nodoka silently leave the room… Soun says a short prayer for his friend and then leaves the room. Nabiki just shakes her head and decides to call it a night, leaving Kasumi all alone at the table. Despite all that's just happened, one thing is on her mind… her sister. 'I hope Akane doesn't tease Ranma too much. That eggroll is certainly not enough to satisfy him.'

Upstairs in Ranma's room, Akane finds a sound asleep Ranma lying down on his futon. With a slight grin on her face, she sits down next to Ranma and waves the eggroll back and forth near his nostrils, allowing the pleasant aroma to wander inside. Ranma starts mumbling something about "Tasting good" before suddenly waking up. His eyes lock onto the egg roll and he moves his hands to grab it…

"No food for you… until you answer my question…" Akane says as she moves the egg roll just out of reach.

Ranma sits up on his futon and wonders what kind of question she's going to ask him. His stomach rumbles and he decides that anything will be worth getting a hold of some food. "Fine, fine… go ahead…"

"Why did you…" Akane lowers her glance and starts looking down at the floor. "Why did you insult me earlier? Your mom told me all about your punishment…"

"Akane, I…" Ranma can see that Akane is beginning to tremble slightly and tears are forming in her eyes.

"Why Ranma?" Akane asks again as she turns to look at him.

Ranma knows that he didn't mean for this happen… but unless he says something fast, Akane won't know the real reason and could end up hating him again. Ranma takes a deep breath to collect his thoughts and then with a downcast look answers her question. "Akane, I was just tryin' to get pops back for all he did to us… cause if I don't eat dinner, he don't eat. I wasn't tryin' to insult yah on purpose…"

"Oh…" Akane says as she slowly wipes the tears from her eyes. She pauses for a moment and then a slight grin makes its way onto her face. "So that means you think I'm cute now… right?"

Looking at her grin Ranma can only smile in response and think, "You have no idea..." However he is a bit confused when Akane suddenly blushes as he does not realize he just said that out loud. There is a moment of silence before Akane speaks.

"Ranma… could you… carry me back to my room? I liked it when you carried me around earlier…"

"Sure…" A smiling Ranma says as he stands up. In his excitement over being able to talk to Akane without making her mad, while also getting her to smile at him, he makes one small mistake. Slipping one arm behind her knees, and the other one against her back he suddenly lifts her up off the ground easily. What he does not realize is this particular way of carrying someone is referred to as a "bridal carry."

"Thank you, Ranma…" Akane says as she places the egg roll into his mouth. "There's your dinner…"

Ranma quickly munches on the egg roll and feels a bit better due to the fact that there's some food in his stomach. He leaves the room and heads down the hallway carrying Akane when the last person that he wants to see happens to be standing there, blocking his path.

"Isn't that reserved for after saying 'I Do' Ranma?" Nabiki asks while sporting a wicked grin on her face. A thoroughly confused Ranma replies a moment later.

"Huh? I did what?"

Akane realizes what her sister is referring to and blushes. 'There's gotta be a way to get her back… she's been teasing Ranma and me ever since this afternoon…'

Nabiki notices a sudden glint in Akane's eyes and wonders what she's up to.

Ranma, what's Nabiki doing in my dream again?" Akane asks, hoping that Ranma will play along with her plan.

Ranma is totally thrown by Akane's comment… just as she had hoped. "Umm…"

Nabiki speaks up, seeing a perfect opportunity to tease the "newlyweds"…

"Oh, I'm just here to say congratulations… Ranma here is ready to take you to your room and you know…" Nabiki winks. "Do what couples do on that special night…"

Ranma's face goes red and he nearly drops Akane. He takes a few deep breaths and tries to regain his composure… however, what he hears Akane say next makes him nearly lose control again.

"Come on, Ranma… let's get back to my room. I can't wait… to show you my new lingerie…" Akane says in a very sultry tone. Ranma is frozen in place and Nabiki cannot help but laugh at the situation. Akane whispers a few words in Ranma's ear and he nods his head…

"About time you two took each other seriously…" Happosai says as he appears out of nowhere.

"Yeah… but I'm worried about something…" Akane says to no one in particular.

Happosai looks up at Akane. "It's okay to be nervous my dear, since it's your first time…

Akane blushes. "Oh no… it's not about that… I'm worried about Nabiki…"

"Me?" Nabiki quips back.

"She just got some new lingerie… but she has no fiancée to show it off to… I bet she's pretty lonely… right, Ranma?"

"Umm… yeah, I guess…" Ranma mumbles out loud… his mind still reeling from thoughts of doing certain "activities" with Akane. 'Good thing she can't read my mind… or she'd definitely call me a pervert right now for sure…'

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nabiki asks as she wonders what sick game her little sister is up to.

"There's no need to be sad… let Happy give you his expert opinion on those wonderful garments. Why don't you change and then model them for me…" Happosai says with a grin.

Nabiki feels her self control slipping away rapidly. "I'm not showing 'you' anything!"

Akane, sensing that it's the perfect time to make her escape, whispers in Ranma's ear again, causing him to slowly walk away from Nabiki's door. "Have fun modeling, sis… Ranma and I have more…" Akane winks. "… important things to do…"

Nabiki just crosses her arms across her chest and sighs aloud… while Happosai waves his hand at Akane. "Have fun!"

Right before Ranma carries Akane into her room… Nabiki is startled to see her sister sticking her tongue out at her. 'Oh no… she really was awake… damn it… they got me…'

Happosai turns his attention to the lovely young Tendo standing right next to him. 'She's not Akane… but she certainly has some nice, full breasts…'

Nabiki looks down and finds the old man glaring at her chest. "What do you want?" Is Nabiki's sarcasm filled answer to his lecherous eyes.

Over in Akane's room, Ranma and Akane have their ears pressed against the door. Both cannot help but laugh as they hear Nabiki yelling and swearing at Happosai. "Serves her right…" Akane says aloud to herself.

"Stop touching those!" Nabiki exclaims, nearly screaming as she tries to shove Happosai's hands off of her chest.

"You've filled out quite well, my dear… quite well…" Happosai says as he gropes Nabiki again. Nabiki takes this opportunity to smack him hard and he lands on the floor.

A defiant Happosai quickly gets back on his feet. "Is that anyway to treat your elders? For that you'll have to be punished…"

In the blink of an eye, Happosai jumps up and lands on Nabiki's chest. Before she can even try to knock him off again, she notices something in his hand.

"GIVE ME BACK MY BRAAAA!"

"I told you that you'd be punished…" With that, Happosai jumps off of Nabiki and quickly sprints away, leaving her standing there motionless. After a few moments, she slumps down on the floor. 'This is too much for one day…' Then she feels an uncomfortable breeze below her. She sighs, 'He got my panties too, that little pervert.'

A few minutes later, after regaining some of her composure, Nabiki stands up and walks into her room. She quickly locks the door and rushes to the window to secure it as well. 'I might as well get ready for bed…' Nabiki thinks as she pulls out her pajamas.

Walking over to the mirror, Nabiki realizes something. She looks down at her now exposed chest. 'He unbuttoned most of my blouse… and unhooked my bra in less then one second. What a pervert! I'll have to figure out a way to get him back for this… that was a really nice bra.'

Her mind now set on revenge, Nabiki quickly changes and then sits in bed, musing over the possibilities of how to get the old man back. Her mind is so focused on this endeavor that she forgets the real reason as to why she lost her bra in the first place… which was because of Akane's teasing. She falls asleep as she thinks of the one person she can use, a certain Amazon Matriarch.

Next door, Ranma and Akane sit down on her bed after hearing nothing more from Nabiki. 'Was she always like this… thinking these thoughts… or was it the old man's training that got her to think like this?'

Akane notices that Ranma's deep in thought and nudges him with her elbow. "Thinking about me?" She asks in a teasing tone.

"Umm… yeah…" Ranma says with a slight blush. "That was a good joke back there… I didn't know you had it in you…"

Akane leans her head down on Ranma's shoulder. "Well… I'm full of surprises… and I'm sure you are too. That's why I want to learn more about you, Ranma…"

"Me too…" Ranma quickly says back. "We still got that date tomorrow to go on…"

Akane says nothing, but shifts her body around. Ranma can feel her moving behind him on the bed and soon, a pair of arms encircle his stomach and he can feel her body pressing against his back.

"A… Akane?"

"Is this real?" She pauses. "Did I really win against the others? Are you really here, in my room... are you really my fiancée?" Akane asks as she gently presses more of her body against him. The pressure of her breasts against his back cuts off the response that he was about to give. It takes him a few seconds to regain his composure enough to answer her.

"Of course it's real… and I'm your fiancée. You did good today, yah know… I thought you fought pretty good. Those girls didn't know what hit 'em…"

"But... it all feels like some strange dream... Ranma... I... I'm not sure what to think or do anymore."

Ranma blinks and then turns his head towards her, "What do yah mean?"

Placing her forehead against his shoulder she starts to shudder. "I... I hated boys... Kuno, the jerks at school... I ... I hated them... I hated them so much... that... that..."

"That when I got here, it just made it worse."

She lets out a deep breath and simply says, "Yes."

"I... I'm sorry Akane, I didn't know..."

After a slight tremble passes through her body, she keeps talking. "Things kept getting worse for us, but... but never better."

"I know... an' I never made things better... I..." He pauses as he feels that his shoulder is getting wet. "Akane... you crying?"

Not able to answer him, she just nods her head, but she keeps a hold on him so that he can do nothing but sit there. "All I knew how to do was be angry and take it out on you..." she then sniffs and tries to get control of her voice again. "But what now? I... I don't want to fight anymore... I don't want to lose you."

Ranma can't stand it anymore, and grabbing her hands, he breaks her hold on him and tries to spin around to face her. However in doing so, he ends up sliding off the side of the bed, pulling Akane down with him.

Downstairs Kasumi hears a sudden thump from above her followed by a male grunt and a feminine 'OUCH!'

"Oh my... I thought Akane was going to wait..."

Next to Akane's room Nabiki suddenly falls out of her chair as she hears the noise next door. "What?"

Placing her ear to the wall, closest to the direction the sound came from, she hears labored breathing, but what she hears next has her mouth hanging open.

"Ah... Akane!"

"OW! Ranma... that hurt!"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"Be more gentle next time!"

"Ok, sorry... there... is that better?"

"Mmmm much..." Akane moans softly.

"She... she... I was just joking!" Nabiki gasps out. Swallowing hard, Nabiki puts her ear up to the wall again.

"You like that?"

"Ummmm hummmmm... "

"I... you're right Akane... I don't wanna fight anymore... can we... um... can we just keep doing this?"

"Umm... you keep doing this and I'll forgive you for everything you've ever done... ah... right there..."

Nabiki's mouth goes dry as she hears Akane's soft moaning and some small grunts from Ranma.

"Want me to go harder?"

"Oh yes..."

"Ok..."

Nabiki staggers back from the wall and sits down on the floor with her eyes wide as the sounds of Akane's moans grow louder. "I... I... What the hell..." Quickly she gets up and rushes to Akane's door. She pauses there for a moment as she debates what she is going to do, and then she hears him ask an unusual question.

"Akane... um... can you move a little, I can't do this right with you like that."

"Oh my god!" Nabiki gasps out and then throws open the door. "WAIT!" And then she stands motionless as she takes in the sight of Akane and Ranma.

Ranma was kneeling on the floor next to Akane who is lying prone on the floor with her arms stretched out. His hands are on her shoulders, massaging them... and they are both still very clothed.

"But Nabiki! I don't want him to stop... this feels soooo good..."

Nabiki just staggers away from Akane's door, and then turning, she woodenly returns to her room where she sits down at her desk and begins beating her head on the table. "Stupid! Of course they wouldn't be doing THAT!"

After Nabiki leaves, Ranma just blinks and looks at Akane. "I'm still sorry I made yah fall on your shoulder, does it feel better now?"

"Yeah… thank you… but I could use a back massage…" Akane says softly.

"Sure thing…" Ranma says as he begins to massage her back, which is a little tense from the fight earlier. Over in Nabiki's room, Nabiki is looking over her take for the day. She can only say one thing, "Damn you Akane..." and then she pushes the money away before folding her arms and laying her head on the desk. "I never asked for things to be this way, but damnnit... someone has to make money for this family."

While Ranma is massaging Akane after her hard won battle, one of the other girls is also thinking of him… though in a different way. Elsewhere, things are not going as… quietly as they are at the Tendo house…

The sound of a bowl hitting a far wall fills the Cat Café. Mousse barely dodges the bowl in question and tries not to get angry…

"But Shampoo… you gotta eat something…" Mousse says, pleading for her to eat something, since she hasn't eaten since breakfast.

"Shampoo too angry to eat… especially food from stupid duck boy!"

"But..."

"NO! Shampoo not weak! Shampoo need no help!" Even as she says this, her shoulders tremble as she recalls how she was taken out of the fight when she was ganged up on. In all her life in the village, she had been undefeated. And now, here she was, a stranger in a strange land and she has lost not only once, or even twice... but too many times to count. And the worst one was losing Ranma to Akane.

Mousse notices Shampoo's trembling and wants to help her… 'Shampoo keeps pushing me away… she fought well… but Akane used some quite interesting moves on her. I wonder what Ukyo's agenda was in that fight… why'd she leave? So many questions…'

The main concern in Mousse's mind, however, was Shampoo's welfare. The girl that constantly denied her feelings for Ranma… the one that supposedly had little "real" fighting ability… she was the one that beat Shampoo and the others to win.

"Shampoo want to be alone…" Shampoo says as she turns her back to Mousse. 'I lose… and it was to violent girl. Then spatula girl give up without fight…' Her countenance begins to fall as she thinks about some of the other things that happened during the fight. 'Violent girl touch Shampoo and… it felt good. Shampoo no like that… Shampoo into boys… NOT girls. Shampoo wanted Ranma to touch her like that…'

Shampoo sighs aloud and continues to tremble slightly… a few tears fall from her eyes. 'What Shampoo do now? Shampoo no can go back… especially after today…'

Mousse is about to make a move to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder when Cologne places her staff in front of him and shakes her head. "I'll take care of this… you go and finish cleaning the dishes…"

Mousse slowly turns around and leaves the room. 'What am I going to do? I can't stand to see Shampoo like this…'

After Mousse leaves the room, Cologne calls Shampoo over to her. "It'll be okay my dear… it's not your fault. It's mine…"

That last statement gets Shampoo's attention. "What great-grandmother mean?"

"I should have predicted that someone would've used some unusual moves. The moves that Akane used against you… I've seen before…"

Shampoo's eyebrows go up. "Where?"

"A long time ago… Happosai used those moves on me. I wasn't even into my 2nd decade… I was almost your age now. I didn't expect to see these moves again… especially from Akane. Who in their right mind would let him teach them such… perverted moves?" Cologne stops speaking and then sighs.

"Akane desperate to allow perverted old man to touch her… she really want to win Ranma, no?"

"Perhaps…" Was about all Cologne could say. She hadn't the slightest clue that

Akane would do THAT much to keep Ranma. She knew that her great-granddaughter would've never let Happosai teach her those moves… because the moment she got groped, she would immediately try and kill him. 'There aren't many possibilities here… going back is definitely not one of them after her loss. I'll have to figure out what to do…'

"Shampoo… come here…" Cologne says as she motions her closer.

A curious Shampoo comes closer and Cologne whispers a few words to her great-granddaughter. "You did well today… don't let this get you down. I'll find a way out of this…" Cologne says, hoping that she can live up to her promise. Shampoo smiles and nods her head… and then heads back to her room, full of a new hope. She knows that Cologne will come up with some kind of plan…

Mousse watches Shampoo run upstairs and wonders what Cologne told her. 'I hope she'll be okay… I hate to see her depressed. She really did do her best today in that fight. There has to be a way to help out, I just know it…'

Across town at the Kuno mansion, Tatewaki is trying to calm his sister down, who had left the field after the fight in a very depressed and angry mood. Upon her return to the mansion a few minutes ago, she had begun to rant and rave about the fight.

"Those peons beat me! The Black Rose was defeated by three PEONS!" Kodachi exclaims as she begins unfurling her ribbon and venting her anger on the nearest object(s) within striking range of the ribbon.

"Calm down…" Kuno says as he dodges her ribbon and slowly backs out of her range. "The conditions of the fight were agreed upon… and you…"

"I LOST brother dear… and with it any chance to be Ranma-sama…" The ribbon in her hand is snapped again, striking a nearby vase and breaking it to pieces. Sasuke enters the room and gasps at the sight of all the broken objects strewn across the floor…

"Mistress, you need to calm down before you destroy more Kuno family heirlooms…" Sasuke says as he reaches down to examine the remains of a vase. "Wait a second… no… it couldn't be…"

Tatewaki looks at Sasuke. "What is it?"

"This vase… it was the one that…" Sasuke stops, fearing the reaction from both Kuno's after he says his next words. "Held your mothers ashes…"

"Oh no… mother…" He tries to calm himself down to no avail. "Damn you sister…" He says as he runs out of the room. Sasuke notices that Kodachi is silent and has gone white as a ghost. "Umm… Mistress… Mistress Kodachi?"

"… mommy…"

Back at the Tendo house, Nabiki is surprised to hear a gentle knocking on her door. "Who is it?"

"You have a phone call Nabiki… it's Kuno…" Kasumi's voice suddenly drops off. "It sounded… like he was crying…"

Nabiki's eyebrows go up in shock. 'Kuno… crying? Something must be really wrong…' She quickly gets on her feet and opens the door. Kasumi watches her sister rush downstairs to the telephone and wonders what's going on… and if it has anything to do with Kuno's sister, Kodachi.

Nabiki picks up the phone. "Hello?"

"You are there… thank goodness…" Tatewaki sniffles. "I need your assistance…"

"Hold on… what's wrong?" Nabiki asks, concerned about his sudden call this late in the evening.

"My sister… she…" Tatewaki speaks between choked sobs. "My sister… she broke a special vase…" He pauses to blow his nose and Nabiki can hear him crying aloud for several seconds before he returns to the phone. "That vase held our mother's ashes… and my sister broke it…"

Nabiki's eyebrows shoot upwards as she hears this. She knows just how important that is to him. Several years ago, before she even began to attend Furinkan she had met Tatewaki Kuno... and she had thought that he would always be a stuck up annoying jerk. At the time she had accused him of loving only money, but he had gotten angry at her and told her in his long winded way, that to him his most precious possession was that vase. To him it meant that she was always at home waiting for them. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat she asks quietly, "What?"

"It is broken… and the ashes are all over the floor…" Tatewaki says before breaking into tears again. Nabiki's eyebrows go up and she realizes why Tatewaki is in such distress. 'I lost my mother, too… we have a shrine here but that's just a shrine. Those ashes… mean so much more…'

"Listen, Kuno… I'll be right there… don't let anybody disturb the area, okay?" Nabiki begins thinking out her plan of action when Kuno's voice is heard again.

"Bless you fair Nabiki… I will be waiting for you…" Kuno says and then slowly lowers the phone. His head droops low, down to his chest as he thinks about what just happened yet again. "I'm sorry… mother… I should have stopped her…"

Nabiki catches what he just said… and knows that this is really an important matter to him. She hears the phone hang up and then runs upstairs and grabs her coat. Kasumi catches her near the front door.

"Is everything alright? It's getting late…"

"I have to go… I'll be back as soon as I can… sorry…" Nabiki says as she rushes past her older sister and into the cool night air.

About twenty minutes later, Nabiki arrives at the Kuno estate. In her hands are the instruments of salvation… at least she hopes so.

Tatewaki notices Nabiki enter the estate grounds carrying two bags. He runs up to her, grateful that she has finally arrived. "Follow me…" Nabiki cannot help but notice the bloodshot eyes and the slight wavering of his movements as she follows Tatewaki into the main building and is soon in the room where the accident happened. Sasuke and Kodachi are standing near the vase, still stunned about what happened.

"I'm sorry I took so long… but I had to stop to make a few purchases for this task…"

"'Tis not a problem. I am curious… how will you solve our dilemma?"

"Well…" Nabiki puts her two bags down on the floor. "You two have to trust me… this is the only way I could think of…"

After looking at both Kodachi and Tatewaki and seeing both nod back at her, she proceeds to pull out a small "Dustbuster" vacuum from one of the bags. "This is brand new, so there's nothing in it… it hasn't been used yet. What I plan to do is vacuum up the ashes and place them in another vase, which I have in the other bag. We'll hold a small ceremony to apologize to the remains for treating them like this… and then place the new vase back where the old one was…"

"Sounds like a sound plan to me…" Sasuke comments and then looks at his two masters. "Does her plan sound good to you?"

"It does…" Tatewaki says slowly. He looks at Kodachi and she says "Yes"…

"Alright… but before I get started, I need you three to leave and get changed for the ceremony…" Nabiki says as she pulls out the new vase.

All eyes in the room focus on the vase that Nabiki has just pulled out of the bag. The shape and style are truly ornate and would make a suitable replacement in the eyes of Tatewaki and Kodachi. The three silently leave the room to go prepare for the ceremony… leaving Nabiki alone.

'I hope this works…' Nabiki thinks as she turns on the "Dustbuster"…

About five minutes later Tatewaki, Kodachi, and Sasuke return. They find the new vase sitting where the old one was and the floor devoid of any evidence that something broke a short while ago. Nabiki is sitting on the floor in front of the vase, her eyes closed and her hands clasped in prayer…

The three sit down next to Nabiki and she leads a small ceremony asking for forgiveness for the treatment of the remains. After the ceremony is done, Nabiki stands up and says… "Well, it looks like my work is finished… and I'd better get home before my sister gets really worried…"

"Thank you for your help…" Tatewaki says as Nabiki heads towards the door. She turns around and says "No problem" before disappearing. The three occupants inside the Kuno estate have a new respect for Nabiki… and Nabiki definitely has a new view of them, especially Kuno.

Across town, the last combatant in the days' fight is getting ready for bed. After thinking and reading all day, Ukyo is taking a well deserved hot bath and wondering what Ranma's doing right now…

'I did what I set out to do… and I hope Akane got my message loud and clear. I didn't give him up so that he could be treated badly. Ran-chan… I wonder what you're doing now? I hope we can still be good friends… and hopefully Akane will accept me like that…' Ukyo gets out of the bath and dries herself off. After donning a nightgown, she heads into her bedroom and reaches for a familiar picture.

"I still have a few days to think about what Nodoka said… maybe… maybe I should do it. Any chance of being with Ran-chan more often is a good thing… but I'll have to make some changes in my life…"

Ukyo falls asleep with the picture of Ranma and the others that was taken when they were on Toma's floating island.

The day soon ends in Nerima… a day which has changed many lives. Tomorrow will bring even more changes. To be continued in Chapter 7: The Day After

For your reading pleasure, I have an omake below:

Omake:

After the fight Ranma throws his arms around Akane, "Wow Akane! It looks like you really won!"

Akane scoffs, "Nope! They all just fell asleep before I could give up. Here's your sign..."

Kuno laughs as he watched Ranma face faults into the ground.

Next chapter will be up as soon as I can get around to it… I now work 7 days a week most of the time…


	7. Chapter 7: The Day After

Chapter 7: The Day After

Thanks to Tex, Luke, Danny, and anyone else that gave me suggestions or helped me with this chapter.

Before going to bed, Ranma had decided to ask his mother a few questions about what he should do on his date with Akane tomorrow. However, all he got from his mother was a bright smile, a few pointers and a promise from her that she'd leave a note with some instructions for him in the morning.

Looking at the sleeping form of her son, Nodoka can't help but smile. 'He looks so peaceful when he sleeps… I'll make sure to leave him something nice for his date with Akane. After that, I need to take care of some other important business involving my husband… and all of the trouble that he's caused in the last 10 years…'

Time passes and soon night becomes day. The early morning light shines into the Tendo house, awakening its youngest member from her slumber. She rubs her eyes and looks over at her clock… and can't believe what time it is…

"7:00 A.M.! It's a Sunday and I still manage to get up early…"

Akane stretches her arms towards the ceiling and then takes a look across the room. Her bloodstained gi hangs from the wall, reminding her that she really did win… it hadn't been a dream. After slowly getting out of bed, she does some basic stretching exercises… which help her wake up and focus her mind. 'I'm going on a date with Ranma today… I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun…' She thinks as she changes out of her pajamas and into a jogging outfit. Before leaving her room, she stands next to the gi and closes her eyes. Her fingers move across the torn fabric as she thinks to herself… 'I won… but I have a new challenge now… one that could be even harder…'

In another part of the house, Ranma is awake as well. He yawns, scratches his head, and stretches his arms out. A small white envelope sitting on top of his blanket catches his attention. 'I wonder… is this from mom? I guess there's only one way to find out…'

With some gusto, Ranma tears open the envelope. Three bills tumble out along with a small piece of paper. Ranma's eyes grow ever wider as he gets a better look at the money his mom left him. 'Three 10,000 yen bills? Damn! That's a lot of money! I could have some real fun with this if I wanted to…'

The sound of the floorboards cracking in the distance puts Ranma on alert. He quickly stuffs the money into his pocket before someone else catches sight of his new "fortune". After doing that, he notices that the bedroom is empty… both of his parents' futons have been put away and no one else is in the room. 'I wonder where they went? Maybe the note says something about that…'

Ranma picks up the note and is about to read it when Akane peeks her head into the room and flashes Ranma a smile.

"Good morning Ranma…"

"'Mornin'"

"Since I'm feeling better this morning, I was gonna do some jogging. Did you…" Akane turns her head away for a moment to regain her composure. 'Damn… why does this have to be so hard? I'm just trying to ask him a simple question…'

Ranma notices that she seems lost in thought. "Akane… Akane…"

"Oh… sorry about that…" Akane says as she returns her gaze to Ranma. "Do you want to join me on my morning jog?"

"Sure…" Ranma says as he stands up. "I'll meet you downstairs in a sec'…"

Akane nods her head and heads downstairs to the front entrance. After slipping her shoes onto her feet, she thinks about what just happened. 'This is a start… let's see what happens next…'

A few moments later, Ranma comes down the stairs. "Ready?"

"Let's go then… and Ranma…"

"Yeah?"

"Try and keep up…" Akane says with a chuckle.

'Who does she think she is? I swear, she can be so uncute sometimes…' Ranma almost speaks his thoughts aloud but notices that Akane has turned her head and is looking at him over her shoulder… 'She's smiling… at me… well, maybe she can be cute at times…'

Akane heads outside and Ranma closes the door behind him just as a figure appears on the top of the stairs. 'I'm glad they're already working on getting to know each other better…' Kasumi thinks as she begins her morning activities… 'I think I'll have a nice breakfast waiting for them when they come back…'

After almost twenty minutes of jogging around the near silent streets of Nerima, Akane decides to take a break and leans against a nearby lamppost.

"Let's take a break for a minute…" Akane says as she catches her breath.

Ranma takes this opportunity to pull out and read the note that he received this morning. A curious Akane notices what he's doing and wonders aloud what on the note.

"Oh, my mom just left me some ideas, you know… for us so we can umm… work together or something…"

"Well, tell me about some of her ideas…"

Ranma scans the list and decides to read some of the items out loud.

"Girls love flowers… so make sure and get her some when you're on your date today…"

"That sounds nice…" Akane says as she mentally pictures Ranma giving her a bouquet of flowers.

"Let's see… hmm… take her out for lunch…"

"Sounds like your mom got some good ideas on there…"

Ranma nods his head. "Yeah… since I ain't ever done this kinda thing before… thanks to pops…"

"Anything else on there?" Akane says, wondering what else is on that note.

"Umm… it says here to make sure that Akane feels appreciated…"

"That's nice…" Akane says, interrupting.

"Hold on, I'm not finished… it says that girls like it when their man caresses their…" Ranma's voice suddenly drops and dies out completely. His face turns a crimson red and Akane gives him a funny look.

"Caresses what?"

"Ummm…" Ranma stammers. "Hands… we should umm… hold hands…"

"Holding hands? Really?" Akane exclaims out loud. 'We haven't done that in a long time… it felt nice the last time…'

"Akane… just trust me… please…" Is about all Ranma can say in response.

"Ranma… I…" Akane mentally deliberates her answer before saying one word… "Okay…"

All is quiet for a moment… and then Ranma feels Akane gently slip her left hand into his right hand. She gently squeezes his hand and then begins to walk forward and gets lost in the moment, unaware that her companion is red as a beet and quite embarrassed at the moment. 'I gotta get through this… I've done this before… so it shouldn't be too hard…'

As they near the Tendo house, Ranma is still deep on thought about the new sensations that he's feeling and notices something else about Akane. 'Her fingers are soft… I never noticed that before. She breaks bricks and still her hands…'

CLANG 

"Ranma, are you okay?" A worried Akane says as she notices that Ranma has run smack dab into a lamppost. His body twitches a little and then falls to the ground.

"I didn't know that holding hands would be that dangerous…" Akane chuckles. "Am I that much of a distraction?"

Ranma's turns his gaze to look at Akane and thinks about her last question. She's puzzled that he hasn't immediately responded and decides to tease him a little.

"You weren't like this when you held my hand after I saved you from the Orochi…"

That gets Ranma's attention immediately. He quickly gets to his feet and before he can lose his nerve, takes her hand.

"Let's get going… I'm sure breakfast is ready by now…" Ranma says as he starts walking back towards the house.

"Yeah… and I'm getting hungry…" Akane says as a familiar grumble gets her attention. "I'm sure Kasumi is wondering we are…"

Kasumi, however, knew the two went out together in the morning. By the time Ranma and Akane get back, a wonderful breakfast was already prepared. The two joggers take off their shoes and are immediately drawn to the dining room by the wonderful smells…

"Mmm… smells good in here…" Ranma comments to no one in particular as he walks into the room.

"About time you two showed up… we've been waiting for you…" Nabiki says as she taps her finger on the table.

"Sorry about that…" Akane says as she sits down at the table.

"How was your morning jog with Ranma?" Soun asks his daughter, wondering if everything went all right.

Akane begins to respond. "Well…"

Nabiki interrupts. "It looks like they did more then jog…" She pauses to gently elbow Akane. "Look- they're both hot and sweaty…" Nabiki says that last line with a chuckle.

"Nabiki!" Kasumi exclaimed aloud. 'She shouldn't be joking like that… those two need to be together and not feel embarrassed about it…'

Ranma and Akane both turn red in the face and Soun shakes his head. "Nabiki, stop teasing Akane and Ranma and eat your breakfast…"

"Fine, fine… I was trying to liven things up a bit here…" Nabiki says as she reaches for some rice.

Kasumi notices that Ranma and Akane still haven't moved. "Eat… I made a big breakfast just for you two…"

Akane and Ranma slowly nod their heads and begin to silently eat their breakfast, stopping only to occasionally glance at each other. Both teens wonder why this is so hard… and why being teased by Nabiki provokes such a strong response. Ranma is also concerned about the sudden disappearance of his mother. 'I wonder what happened to mom? She and pops both disappeared…'

Akane finishes eating first and excuses herself from the table to take a shower. After she leaves, Ranma notices that all eyes are now focused on him.

"What?"

Nabiki chuckles. "Looks like you're off to a good start, for someone who's never done this kind of thing before…"

"Well…" Ranma says as he pulls out a piece of paper. "I was just following some of the tips my mom wrote down for me…"

"Let me see that…" Nabiki says as she grabs the note out of his hand. She quickly scans the document and stops when she gets to a certain line. "This one sounds interesting…"

"Wait a second, don't…" Ranma says, knowing what line she's about to read aloud.

"Girls like it when their man caresses their breasts, make sure Akane feels appreciated…" Nabiki glances at Ranma. "So that's why you two…"

Kasumi just shakes her head and Ranma stops Nabiki before she says another word.

"Look, we didn't do anything like that…"

"Yet" Nabiki said with a sharks grin. "But I bet she's waiting."

Soun decides to make a comment after hearing his daughter's words. "I hope that you aren't doing… those kind of things with Akane…"

"All we did was hold hands… geez…" An exasperated Ranma replies.

"That's a good start… I know Akane appreciates your efforts… after all, she fought to win the right to be your only fiancée…" Soun says as he stands up. "Make sure and show her a good time on your date today…"

With that, Soun leaves the room and heads back to his room where he digs out a photo album and is soon lost in the past memories… ones concerning his deceased wife…

Back in the dining room, Nabiki finishes her breakfast and returns to her room. Kasumi cleans up the dishes and begins to wash them in the kitchen while Ranma takes the opportunity to think in peace…

'That was embarrassing… damn that Nabiki…' Ranma says as he takes the note off of the table and places in into his pocket. His thoughts drift back to when he asked Akane to trust him… 'She still hesitated… I gotta get her to trust me… but how? How am I gonna get her to prove that to me? Hmm…'

Akane comes into the room a moment later. "Your turn Ranma…"

"I'll go in a sec'…"

Akane looks around the room for a moment. "We haven't seen P-chan in a while… I wonder where he went?"

Ranma's eyebrows go up. "No idea…" He stands up and glances at Akane with a glint on his eye. "I'm gonna take a bath now…" As he walks up the stairs, he thinks about his idea... 'Ryoga… I'm gonna make Akane see what you really are… you can't keep hurting her like this…'

While Ranma takes a bath and contemplates his new "idea"… Mousse sits in his room and continues to think about Cologne's statement yesterday. 'There's no way that she could get him back… he wouldn't stay with her, not after what Akane did for him. What is that old woman gonna do?'

Mousse leans back on the bed and tries to figure out what kind of scheme Cologne could use to try and get Shampoo and Ranma together. With this in mind, he drifts off to an uneasy sleep…

… and wakes up sometime later. He looks over at the clock and in a panic runs downstairs to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry I'm late…" Mousse says as he bows.

When he hears no response, Mousse looks around the room. 'Where is everybody?' He walks around the café and finds nothing. After heading upstairs and finding the apartment completely empty, he just sighs. 'What's going on here?'

The sound of his grumbling stomach a moment later temporarily moves his attention to a more important matter- breakfast.

Ten minutes later a very hungry Mousse devours his breakfast while sitting at one of the tables in the café. As he eats, his eyes notice something that hadn't noticed before… a white envelope sitting on the table.

With a measure of curiosity and trepidation, Mousse takes the envelope and opens it. A small piece of paper is inside with Chinese lettering. 'I wonder what this is?'

He takes the paper and begins reading the contents of it aloud.

Mousse,

You will look after the café for the next week while I take Shampoo on a special training trip. I am training her to fight for her new husband… whom you will have to challenge when we return. Be prepared to fight. Do not take this assignment lightly… your future depends on this.

Cologne

"What the hell is this?" An exasperated Mousse says to himself. "This woman never gives up… and now I'm dragged into fighting some suitor… it better not be Ranma…"

A gentle knocking on the front door of the café directs his attention elsewhere. He cries aloud "We're not open…"

A voice is heard a moment later. "I heard that you make some wonderful ramen…"

Mousse walks up to the door and recognizes the woman standing there. "Are you… Ranma's mother?"

"Yes, I am Nodoka Saotome…"

Seeing an opportunity to get some information and check out some of his theories about Cologne's letter, he lets Nodoka into the café and closes the door. "Sit anywhere you like…"

Nodoka politely bows and sits down at a nearby table.

"What can I get for you?"

"Let's see… hmmm. How about an order of pork ramen…"

"One pork ramen coming right up…" Mousse says as he walks over to the kitchen. As he prepares Nodoka's food, he decides to ask a few questions.

"Your son… did he receive a challenge letter today?"

"Not that I know of… I left early this morning. I'll bet he's getting ready for his date with Akane… I do hope he'll follow my suggestions…" Nodoka says that last part with a chuckle.

'From the sound of that… I don't think that Ranma is what Cologne meant by suitor. I'm sure Akane would've come over here with her mallet by now if he did get such a letter…'

"I thought that there were three people running this café…" Nodoka says as she looks around the empty café.

"Shampoo is out training with Cologne… they left me a note saying that she was going to fight some new suitor… I thought at first that she was going to fight Ranma again…"

"Shampoo?" Nodoka pauses for a moment and then places the name with the face. "Oh yes, that young woman that fought Akane yesterday… and I remember Elder Cologne, of course…"

"I wonder who she got to fight Shampoo…" Mousse says as he pours the now finished soup into a bowl. Before bringing the bowl over to Nodoka, he knocks over a bowl and it falls to the ground and shatters. Nodoka notices this and wonders why this young man doesn't wear stronger glasses… so he can see better.

"Here's your ramen…" Mousse says as he sets the bowl down in front of the Saotome matriarch. She begins to eat and Mousse decides to engage in some small talk.

"Akane almost lost Ranma once before… when he was chasing after Shampoo…"

Nodoka looks up. "What do you mean?"

"Shampoo found this special jewel… and Cologne used that to trick Ranma into going after her… if it wasn't for me, Akane wouldn't have stopped him and he'd be married to Shampoo by now…" Mousse says as recalls the incident in question and how belligerent Akane had been about her feelings before he put the jewel on her.

"My son owes you a debt for doing that… as do I. You saved him from a marriage that he did not want and allowed him to be with Akane, who really does care for him…"

Mousse ponders her words as Nodoka finishes her soup. 'Everything may have worked out for those two… but I'm still without my beloved Shampoo…' After a brief sigh, Mousse stretches his arms towards the ceiling and yawns.

Nodoka thought about Mousse for a moment and after he had told her that his need for glasses excluded him from being a true Amazon warrior, then she could understand his reluctance to use them. With his vision problems it made matters worse… an idea suddenly appears in her head. "You know Mousse, I think I know of a way to help you, as well as helping someone else at the same time."

Mousse blinked at her. "What?"

"You see, I know this nice young man that is in need of some help, and I think that you are just the one to help him."

Mouse was a little cautious of this. "How can I do that? And why should I?"

"Well you see," she sated with a smile. "He's rather new to this area and is looking for patients..."

"So he's a doctor?"

"Of sorts, this is what I need you to do." With that the Saotome matriarch explained her plan which caused Mousse's eyes to open wide and kick started the gears in his mind.

"Are you sure... is that really possible?"

"Yes it is, and he owes me a favor, so I think this will help out the two of you."

"Oh thank you... thank you!"

"I'll stop in again this weekend… you can let me know how everything went…" Nodoka says as she stands up.

"Of course… and thank you…" Mousse says, grateful for everything that has just happened. 'At least I'll be able to see… these glasses don't help much at all… especially all those time I tried to kill... um... hehe… instead of trying to kill Ranma… I'm now indebted to his mother. This sure is a messed up place…'

Nodoka says goodbye and leaves the restaurant… and ponders her sons' situation. 'I didn't know things were this complex around here…'

About an hour later, two teens leave the Tendo house and head towards a nearby park.

Even though Ranma is in his standard red shirt and black pants, he is pleasantly surprised to see Akane in, of all things, a red skirt and complementing top.

'I don't think his mom put down how to dress for a date… but I don't care… he looks… handsome in that…' Akane thinks as she glances at Ranma.

The early morning air rustles through the mostly empty streets, causing Akane to shiver slightly. A few minutes later the pair arrive at the park… and Akane realizes which park they're at…

"Hey Ranma… you remember what happened here a while back?" Akane says, trying to get Ranma to recall the events that transpired here.

"Umm… no…" Ranma says, trying to avoid the subject.

"You know, you're not a very good liar…" Akane said with a chuckle. "You thought I was Nabiki when you confessed…"

"I um… well…" Ranma recalls how embarrassed he felt at that moment. "Yeah…" Is his soft reply a moment later.

Akane motions to a nearby park bench and the two sit down next to each other. There is an awkward silence for about thirty seconds before Akane decides to mention something else from their last visit to this park…

"Ranma… I… really appreciated the roses… that you gave me here …"

"Oh yeah…" Ranma replies with a hint of nervousness in his voice, still not used to Akane being so close to him. 'She's not going to mallet me… damn reflex action…'

Ranma decides to mention something that he had been thinking about ever since the end of the fight. "Akane… you're… different… I don't know how to say it… but you've, you know… changed since the fight… I umm… like it…"

"Oh…" Akane says while thinking about his words. 'I am different… and it's all because I decided to accept Happosai's offer…'

"Well… let me tell you about what happened during my training…" Akane pauses for a moment to gather her thoughts. "I had to make a choice… he asked me what I was fighting for…"

"Oh…"

"I didn't want to lose… and he asked 'Loose what?'"

Ranma's attention is focused on Akane… he can tell that she's giving this a lot of thought so he remains patient. This pays off when she continues a moment later.

"He made me tell him my reason for fighting… and I… I had to…"

"For me… you were fighting for me…" Ranma says softly daring to hope it was true. With a smile, Akane leans her body against his and continues her story.

Akane nodded and took a deep breath. "He still refused to train me… I had to… confess my feelings for you in front of him…" Akane sighs. "That was embarrassing…"

Ranma felt a little uneasy about this. He wasn't sure if he could really do the same. "Yeah, umm… I'm sure it was…"

"But there was a reason for that… I guess now I can see it…" Akane looks at Ranma. "He wanted me… to be able to show you… how far I'd go… just to keep you…"

"Oh…" Is about all Ranma can say. 'I guess that old man has his moments… he's right… I know how far she went for me… and I appreciate that…'

Akane closes her eyes and rests her head on Ranma's shoulder. He looks down at Akane and notices a look of contentment on her face. 'I've never… seen this side of her… damn it… I'm lucky I got this chance …'cause of that fight. I think she's changed for the better… heh… I haven't been malleted in a long time…'

Ranma decides to let Akane rest for a while. He relaxes and takes in the scenery around him. Blue skies… chirping birds… the shining sun… all the earmarks of a good day. He begins to think about a particular situation and what to do… and he needs Akane's help.

"Akane... I... I gotta tell you somethin' though I'm not sure how."

"What do you mean?"

"I... I made a promise to someone... on my honor as a martial artist not to tell their secret. But... I..."

"What is it?" Akane asked as she looks at him.

"I... I wanna tell you, but if I do then I break my word... an if I tell you then I'm s... I'm sc... not sure how you'll take it."

Akane moved so she could look him in the eye. "Ranma... are you scared to tell me?"

Though is first instinct was to say he wasn't scared, the truth of it was, he was very scared. He liked the way Akane was now, and if he told her this then she'd hate him. So instead of saying the words he just nodded his head miserably.

While Akane likes the fact that he is trying to be honest, she is concerned about him. "Ranma, there's nothing that you could say that'd make me hate you."

"I don't know about that... but I wanna tell you... but if I do I break my promise... what do I do? What would you do?"

That caused her to sit back and blink. "What would I do?"

He nodded vigorously. "What would ya do if Nabiki or Kasumi had a friend that they liked... that... um... they didn't know something about them. But you knew it... and... "

"Is the secret hurting them?"

"I... I'm not sure." He says in all sincerity, as he does not know if her not knowing is better than her knowing.

"Since I know the secret is it hurting me?" Akane asked trying to understand.

"Every night..." Ranma said softly and clenched his fists. And while he had thought that she didn't notice, Akane would have had to of not only been blind but in another country to not have seen his reaction.

"Ranma... is this secret hurting you?" She asked softly.

Unable to answer Ranma only nods his head. How does he tell the girl he loves, that because of his stupid promise, someone else is sleeping in her bed at nights!

"This secret- it's about me?"

Again Ranma nods his head.

"If its hurting you this much Ranma... no secret is worth keeping."

Ranma suddenly looks up causing Akane to gasp from the lost and near hopeless look in his eyes. "Akane..." he says in a barely audible whisper.

"Yes?" She asks just as softly.

"I don't want to loose you... but if I tell you this... then you might not want to see me again…"

Akane is beginning to get scared, especially hearing Ranma talk this way. However before either of them can say a word they hear a scream not far from them.

"WHERE ON EARTH AM I NOW!"

This was quickly followed by another yell of "RANMA THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Ranma just rolls his eyes.

"Oh, it's Ryoga…" Akane says as she looks at the martial artist. "What did Ranma do this time?"

In response, Ranma decides to tell Akane to ask Ryoga about his curse.

"Trust me on this… ask him… about the curse…" Ranma says, imploring her to action. "Please…"

She looks at him skeptically, wondering what this was all about. 'I guess it can't hurt to ask… I know Ranma wouldn't lie about something this…' She approaches Ryoga, and after taking a deep breath, asks him about his curse.

"Ryoga tell me about your curse… please…"

Ryoga gets nervous and then sees Ranma... and he gets pissed... really pissed and begins to scream...

"I thought you promised me that you wouldn't tell Akane… you're a honorless liar for breaking your word…"

Akane realizes that it's Ranma's promise to Ryoga that is causing Ranma so much pain... and the secret... involves her somehow.

"Look Ryoga, hold on a second…" Ranma says, trying to calm Ryoga down.

"I don't want to hear anything from you… it's your fault to begin with that I fell into that cursed pool…"

Akane's eyes open wide in astonishment. 'Ryoga has a Jusenkyo curse!'

Akane looks over at Ranma and notices that Ranma is not saying a word. Instead he is standing there, his head bowed... just letting Ryoga yell. She can see that Ranma is trying to restrain himself… but why?

When Ryoga sees that Ranma is not paying attention to him he acts... and using his umbrella, he knocks Ranma around a bit. Ranma does not put up a fight as Ryoga continues to try and attack him with his umbrella.

Akane can plainly see the sheer brutality of Ryoga's anger... Ryoga... is trying to kill Ranma... someone she has trained hard to keep...

"Ryoga, stop it!" Akane cries out as Ryoga knocks Ranma to the ground. Ranma touches his forehead and then looks at his hands… which are stained with blood.

"RYOGA! STOP HURTING RANMA!" Akane jumps in between the two and her battle aura begins to glow brightly. Ryoga tries to make another attack when Akane grabs his umbrella in mid-swing. "Ranma is my fiancée… so leave him alone. Ranma told me about a secret… and he said it was hurting me… tell me Ryoga, what is Ranma talking about?"

"It's all his fault…" Ryoga says as he tries to shake his umbrella free from Akane's hands.

"I don't know what happened… but what kind of curse do you have? Tell me!" Akane says, getting more angry with each passing moment. 'Why is he so dead set on attacking Ranma? It took a lot for Ranma to tell me about this… and Ryoga isn't cooperating…'

"Ryoga..." Ranma says tiredly. "I'm tired of it, the secrets the lies... I... I want Akane to trust me, but I can't so that as long as you won't tell her the truth."

Akane takes her eyes off Ryoga a moment and looks back at Ranma who still has blood trickling from the cut. "Ranma..."

Ranma looks up at Akane and then past her to Ryoga. "I... I don't want there to be any secrets between us. For once... I want to..."

"To what?" Ryoga asks with a sneer. "To be happy? You destroyed MY happiness and I will make sure you NEVER have any!" At this point Ryoga was beyond mad, as Ranma had somehow turned Akane against him! 'But not any longer.' the thought and then acted.

With a hard push, Akane fell backwards with Ryoga's heavy umbrella falling across her legs pinning her to the ground.

"Akane!" Ranma shouted when he was tackled by the lost boy.

"I'LL KILL YOU RANMA!" Ryoga shouted in rage.

"Ranma!" Akane yelled in concern.

Then in what seemed like slow motion for her, Ryoga grabbed Ranma, but Ranma slipped on some mud causing him to fall. But not only did Ranma fall backwards… he pulled the lost boy with him.

Before Akane's astonished eyes, Both Ranma and Ryoga hit the water of the fountain and one second she was Looking at Ranma and Ryoga, the next she was looking at Ranma-chan... and... P-chan...

"P-CHAN!" Akane shouted to which the little pig just continued to try and bite off Ranma's arm. "RYOGA!" Akane said in a low growl. Both her hands grabbed the umbrella and not only did she pick the heavy thing up, but she snapped it in half. "RYOGA HIBIKI!"

This caused the little pig to stop and look at Akane. "Bwee..." Then its eyes got real big. 'Oh no... she... she saw...'

Akane paused for a moment and then pulled out the "Mallet of Doom" from hyperspace. Before striking the pig, she decides to let him know what her plans are…

"First... I am going to take you to a vet and have you castrated... with old rusty equipment." Akane began to list what she was going to do.

"BWEE!" P-chan slowly backs away as Akane continues staring at him, her battle aura growing stronger with every passing moment.

"Then I'm going to take what remains of those parts... and shove them down your throat while I have Kasumi cook up a nice pork dinner..."

"...WEE..."

"After that, what ever is left I am going to take somewhere, have you restored to life, and then I'll start the process all over again..." After saying that line, Akane prepares to strike…

'Oh crap…' Is the thought passing through Ryoga's mind just before a mighty mallet swing hits the fountain, just barely missing her target.

The little pig takes off, running out of the park at speeds never thought possible for his cursed form. Akane is following in hot pursuit, swinging her mallet in an attempt to knock the cursed martial artist out. After several minutes, P-chan manages to elude Akane and runs into an alley… and passes out near some garbage cans.

Ranma-chan patiently waits for Akane's return, all the while thinking about what could've happened to Ryoga. 'I don't have to worry about him messing with Akane ever again… even if he did survive her and her mallet…'

On the walk back to the park, Akane realizes something. 'What I was doing to P-chan… was the same thing I was doing to Ranma. Damn… I hope he forgives me for all those times I hit him…'

When Akane returns, Ranma hears her mumble something about that "Damn perverted pig…"

"Akane… I'm sorry… I should've told you sooner but…"

Akane looks down at the ground and then takes one look at Ranma. Unable to restrain herself, she bursts into tears. 'I… I… damn it… I… messed up. Ranma was trying to protect me and I…'

Akane's thoughts are interrupted when Ranma-chan places a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. Ranma-chan tries to apologize again. "Akane… I'm… I'm sorry…"

Akane sniffles. "No… it's my fault. I thought you were jealous of P-chan… but you were trying to protect me from that pervert. I'm the one who hurt you…" Akane leans on her mallet and sighs.

"Akane… look… what…" Ranma-chan takes a deep breath before continuing. "What happened before… is in the past…"

"You you still want to... to... I mean after all those time I... I hit you... and... and called you names... I..." As Akane tried to pull her thoughts together, the memories, the beatings... everything kept coming back to her. She understood more and more of what Happosai had said to her.

"Ranma is a trusting and forgiving soul, but a person can only be pushed so far before there is no turning back. How close to the edge do you think you are?" If there was nothing else she learned in her training, it was that.

Ranma-chan says nothing in response. Akane is surprised to find herself in a hug a moment later.

"Umm… Akane… don't cry…" Ranma-chan says softly.

"But I can't help it… I hurt you…" Akane says as she tries to contain her tears.

Ranma-chan holds Akane until the girl stops crying… which takes a few minutes. 'I didn't think she'd get this emotional about this… but she doesn't have to worry… ain't nobody else I'd wanna be with…'

"Thank you…" Akane says softly.

"Umm… did you want to get something to eat…" Ranma-chan says in attempt to get Akane's mind on another subject.

"Sure…" Akane says, following Ranma-chan's lead. Ranma-chan stands up and motions Akane to follow her… several minutes later the pair arrive at a small café… one which Akane had noticed before but had never gone into…

"I eat here sometimes… so I don't cause any problems like I would if I stopped over at Uc-chan's or Cologne's café…" Ranma-chan explains as she heads inside. Akane steps inside and looks around. 'It's small… but it has a certain homey feeling to it…'

Numerous small tables line one side of the café… a large sit down counter fills up most of the other side. Two doorways flank the sit down counter, which has a few customers quietly eating their lunch. As Ranma-chan decides where to sit, an old man emerges from the kitchen.

"Ranma!" An older man with a white beard exclaims as Ranma-chan sits down at a table near the entrance. "I see you brought a friend with this time…

Ranma-chan smiles. "She's umm… more then my friend…" Ranma-chan pauses for a moment. "Could I get some hot water please?"

"Of course, of course…" The old man says with a chuckle and heads into the kitchen to get the water.

"So… who's that?" Akane says, motioning towards the kitchen.

"Oh, he's the owner of this café… and he can make some great teriyaki…" Ranma-chan replies as the old man returns and hands Ranma the water. Ranma-chan quickly splashes the water on her hair… triggering the transformation back to Ranma-kun.

Akane hands Ranma a towel, which he uses to wipe off his face. The café owner studies Akane's face for a moment and then comes to a conclusion…

"Are you the young lady that Ranma here keeps talking about?"

'He's been talking… about me? I wonder what he's said about me…' Akane thinks as she debates on how to respond. "I guess I am… I'm Akane Tendo…"

"Yep… I was right…" The old man chuckles. "You were right, she is cute…"

'He said I was cute… in front of other people? Really?' Akane smiles slightly and stays silent… Ranma blushes… causing the café owner to laugh at their situation.

"I think I've embarrassed you enough, Ranma. I know how you get weak in the knees when she smiles… if I was 30 years younger, I might ask her out…" The old man extends a hand out to Akane for her to shake, which she does. "My name is… well, just call me 'Pops'…"

"Hey Pops… how about some of that world famous beef teriyaki of yours?" Ranma says, trying to get the subject of the conversation back to something more neutral. Akane notices that the way Ranma said "Pops" a moment ago is quite different from the way he normally says that same word when referring to his father.

"And what can I get for you, Akane?"

Akane thinks about her answer for a moment and then speaks. "I'll have the same thing… and do you have any soup? I'm hungry…" Akane rubs her stomach and can feel it grumble slightly.

"I've got some fresh miso soup that I just made less then ten minutes ago… if that'll do…"

"Sure!" Was the hearty reply a moment later.

"Make that two…" Ranma added in.

"It'll be right up…" Pops says as he steps away from the table and heads over to the kitchen. 'Since it's Ranma's special friend, I'll make sure and make an extra special batch just for them…' Pops thinks as he gets to work on preparing the meal.

Akane looks around the small café and notices a few couples sitting at other tables near the back of the café… some are eating lunch, others are preoccupied with other things… like kissing.

'This looks like a hangout for couples… wait a second… no, it couldn't be… could it?' Akane scratches her head. 'I thought he just wanted to eat lunch and talk with me…'

"You're so quiet… are you okay Akane?" Ranma asks, wondering what's on her mind. 'She's never this quiet… unless something's wrong…'

"Oh… it's nothing…" Akane says as she turns her face to look at Ranma. "I was just thinking… about us…"

"Oh…"

"I bet you've wanted to ask me out a date sometime… and come here…" Akane smiles. "It seems like you like to talk about me a lot to your friend Pops…"

"Umm… well…" Ranma fidgets a little. "I was… h-hoping that I could take you here… without the other girls killin' me…"

"I don't think anyone is going to bother us today… it's just you and me…" Akane says with a smile.

Before Ranma can respond to that, Pops comes out with two large bowls of soup, which he places on the table next to each other, not across from each other. The two teens look at the soup and wonder what's going on.

"Sorry to ask this… but I need the seat cushion that Akane is sitting on… it has to be repaired and the repairman will be here soon…"

"Oh… it's no problem…" Akane stands up and Ranma nervously scoots over to allow her to sit down next to him. Pops takes the seat cushion and turns to look at the couple.

"The teriyaki will be out in a minute… enjoy your miso soup…" Pops says as he heads back to the kitchen.

Akane and Ranma exchange silent glances… before Ranma's stomach breaks the silence.

"I guess we should eat…" Akane says as she stares at the bowl of soup.

"Yeah… let's dig in…" Ranma heartily replies.

Ranma and Akane begin to eat… not truly aware of how close they are sitting next to each other. After finishing his soup, Ranma pushes the bowl forward and turns to look at Akane.

"That's some good soup, right Akane?"

Akane stops eating for a moment to answer Ranma. "It's pretty good… I like it…"

Ranma cannot help but feel good inside at that admission. 'She likes this place… everythin' is going good so far…'

Ranma silently watches Akane as she finishes eating her soup. She pushes her bowl forward on the table and sits back against the back cushion of the booth to relax for a moment.

"Lunch is served…" A familiar voice exclaims from the kitchen. Akane and Ranma turn and look in that direction as Pops comes out with two large plates, each one filled with quite a bit of beef teriyaki…

"I hope you two are hungry…" Pops says as he puts down the two plates in front of the couple.

"I know I am…" Ranma says as he eyes the food in front of him. Akane sniffs the air and then looks at Pops.

"This smells great! It's been a while since I've had teriyaki…"

"Don't let me stop you… go ahead and dig in…" Pops turns his head and notices that some of his other customers are waving at him. "I've got some other customers to tend to… just let me know if you need anything else…"

With that, Pops makes a quick exit, leaving the couple alone once again. Akane looks over and notices that he hasn't started eating yet… and appears to be lost in thought.

"Let's eat before it gets cold…"

Ranma returns to normal a moment later. He quickly reaches for some nearby chopsticks and twirls them around for a moment before going for the food.

"Time to eat!" Ranma begins to rapidly devour his lunch… Akane sighs aloud.

'Some things never change… I just hope he actually gets some food in his mouth…' Akane thinks as she begins to eat her teriyaki. 'This teriyaki is some of the best food that I've ever had in my life…'

The couple eats in silence, both focus on eating the meal and not on the nearness to the other person. Ranma finishes first and stretches his arms towards the ceiling. He slowly brings down his right arm… and then his left… which ends up behind Akane. Ranma nervously looks over at Akane… to see if the moment was right. 'Here goes nothin'…'

Akane is surprised to feel Ranma's arm on her back a moment later. His left hand rests on her left shoulder… Akane can feel him shaking a little. 'He's… being bold… maybe he did want to do something besides eat…'

After taking a deep breath, Akane leans against Ranma, causing the martial artist to blush. She notices his reaction out of the corner of her eye and continues to eat, happy with the effort that Ranma is putting into this date.

'I guess she likes what I'm doing… maybe this dating thing ain't too bad… I can't believe that she's so close to me… and I'm not getting hit or anythin'…' Ranma thinks as Akane finishes her lunch.

Across the room, Pops notices that his plan is working and decides to wait a few minutes before gathering the finished dishes. Ranma looks over at Akane, who has her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. 'This isn't so bad… why was I so afraid of doing this before? He's really trying today… trying for me…'

After a few minutes of silence, Pops comes over to the table and nudges Ranma.

"Looks like you're doing pretty good… she seems to be very comfortable being with you…"

Ranma looks at Pops, dumbfounded. 'What does he mean? She's always tryin' to hit me and slap me anytime we were close… wait a second…'

Ranma looks down at Akane and notices that she's fallen asleep. 'That was before… she's definitely changed…'

Not wanting to disturb Akane, Ranma speaks his next words in a whisper. "How much do I owe you for lunch?"

Pops smiles. "Free of charge my boy… you finally got your wish and got her in here. You two have fun on your date…" Pops takes the plates and bowls off of the table and returns to the kitchen, satisfied inside about helping out young love.

"Akane… Akane…" Ranma whispers as he gently nudges his fiancée.

"Huh?" Akane rubs her eyes and then looks at Ranma. "How long was I sleeping?"

"Umm… maybe twenty minutes or so…"

"Sorry to make you wait… I'm sure you were umm… bored waiting for me…"

Ranma shakes his head. "Naw, it was no big deal…"

"Good… did you want to… take a walk with me before we head home?" Akane says, hoping to spent a little more quality time with Ranma.

"S-sure…"

Akane gently slides out of the booth and then waits for Ranma to get on his feet… before she slips her hand into his.

"Ranma… make sure you don't walk into any light posts on our way home…" Akane says with a giggle.

Ranma can only roll his eyes as Akane gently pulls him out of the café and onto the open street. The two spend over an hour just walking around… engaging in small talk and trying to overcome some of their past difficulties with each other. Several times during the walk Ranma stops and looks around. 'I feel like someone's watchin' us… but I don't see anyone…'

The couple arrive back at the Tendo house some time later. No one seems to be around as they walk upstairs and stop in front of Akane's door…

"Ranma… thank you for everything… including the roses…" Akane says with a slight fluster on her cheeks.

Ranma smiles. 'I'm glad I remembered to do that before we got back here…' He looks at Akane and notices the happy expression on her face.

"Umm… it's no problem… I uh… had fun…"

"Good… so did I…" Akane closes her eyes and slowly moves her lips towards Ranma. He begins to sweat and he looks around before putting his hands on her shoulders. "Is this…"

Akane finishes Ranma's statement. "Yes… normally you kiss at the end of the date… it's called a 'goodnight kiss'… you still want to kiss me, right?"

"Yes…" Ranma pauses before speaking again. "I l-liked it a lot… when we umm… did that before…"

Akane is silent for a moment… and happy inside at his admission a moment ago. She moves towards him again… and soon feels the warm feeling on his lips pressed against hers. The kiss seems to last for an eternity… when Akane gently pulls away, Ranma notices that her face is red… just like his.

"That was… good…" Ranma says softly.

"Glad you liked it…" Akane says with a smile. "I'm going to relax for a while… and then it looks like we're on our own for dinner…"

"We'll umm… make something together later, okay? I'm going down to the dojo to workout…"

"I'll see you in a little while then…" Akane says as she heads into her room and closes her door. Ranma takes several deep breaths and looks around… 'I could've sworn I heard something… it's probably nothing…'

Ranma walks down to the dojo and begins to workout and practice his moves in an effort to clear his mind and relax a little… the date was quite stressful for the young martial artist. Back up in Akane's room, Akane sighed as she put her new roses in a vase. There were so many times today she wanted to say something, but was not sure of what to say. When he had handed her the roses she had turned a bright red, but still she was not sure what to say, or do. She had won... yet now what? As she stepped over to her bed she blinked as she saw something on her pillow. It took her a moment of just staring at it before she actually realized it was a note. Picking it up she gasped as she saw another rose had been covered by it.

Turning the paper over she let out a soft sigh. "Akane..." she read and knew it was from Ranma. "I'm sorry, you know I ain't no good with words and ain't much better writin'." Akane couldn't help but grin at that.

"Mom says that girls like flowers, an' from how you smiled today I'm glad to see she was right." A tear made its way down her eye as she read it. It wasn't romantic, or a confession of love, but Ranma had wrote it, and that was enough. "I hope I can make ya smile more, I'll try not ta be a jerk. I don't like makin' ya cry." The note was signed with his name, but even if he hadn't of signed it, she would've known it was from him.

"Ranma…" Akane sighed. "You're doing fine… better then I expected…"

Akane walks over to her window and opens it up, allowing a cool breeze to enter her room. She pulls up a chair to her desk and sits down, letting her mind wander as she stares out at the blue sky.

A while later, in the dojo, Ranma decides to take a break. 'I feel a lot better now… this dating thing is harder then I thought…' He notices that there's a tape player plugged into the far wall. 'Someone must've been listenin' to some music or somethin'… let's see what's in there…'

Ranma is surprised to hear Akane's voice come from the tape player. "This song is for Ranma…" Ranma's curiosity is peaked as some background music begins to play before a very familiar line is heard. "Ranma no baka!"

(Author's note: I'm not going to post the lyrics for the "Baka Song" but if you want to see what it's really about and see the music video for yourself, go to http/ Needless to say, it involves Akane saying "BAKA" more times then I can count… and saying various things about Ranma, mostly negative)

Needless to say, Ranma is taken aback as the song plays. 'She must of made this on one of her bad days with me I guess…'

From her window, Akane hears the music as it begins to play and panics. 'Oh no! He found that tape of the song I made… damn it, I left it in the tape player. I'd better get down there and stop the song before it's too late…'

With that, Akane rushes down to the dojo and flings open the doors. Ranma looks over at the entrance and notices the worried expression on Akane's face.

"Stop that song, Ranma…"

Ranma shakes his head. "It's okay… I wanna umm… hear the rest of it…"

"But… but…" Akane nervously stutters.

"Akane…" Ranma motions her to come over to him, which she does slowly, her head now lowered as she wonders what he's going to say. 'I hope he's not pissed off at me…' She sits down next to Ranma and waits for the song to end.

When it does, Ranma looks over at the very worried Akane. "Akane… look…"

"Ranma please don't hate me… I didn't mean for you to hear that…" Akane says, interrupting Ranma.

"How'd you come up wit' the song… I mean I know about the baka thing but you were very umm… creative…" A curious Ranma asks.

"I guess I just got pissed off at you one day and decided to put it into writing instead of hitting you or breaking bricks…" Akane says softly, her head still facing down and not meeting Ranma's gaze.

"Look…" Ranma pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath. "It's all in the past… I don't hate yah… I actually thought the song was funny… only you'd write a song like that…"

Akane slowly looks up at Ranma. "You're not joking with me are you?"

Ranma shakes his head. "The past is da past… I'm more worried about now then what happened before…"

Akane breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you Ranma… for not getting angry with me…"

"Sure… no problem. Maybe I should keep the tape… you know… for old times sake… yah did write it about me after all…"

Akane responds a moment later. "Hey, it's my tape and I'm going to keep it!"

"Why can't I have it?" Ranma asks as one of his hands moves towards the tape player.

"Because I said so…"

In the blink of an eye, Ranma's hand darts out to grab the tape from the player. Akane grabs a hold of Ranma's arm and pulls him towards her. "Ranma… give me the tape…"

'I don't wanna get in a fight with her… I don't wanna ruin today's mood… and it's really not important… I'll let her have the tape…' Ranma looks at the struggling Akane and sighs aloud.

"Fine, it's yours…"

Ranma drops the tape to the ground and Akane quickly picks it up. She turns and looks at Ranma… he's surprised to see a smile on her face.

'Why is she smiling?' Ranma wonders as she takes a deep breath… and then crushes the tape in her hand.

"Ranma… you're right… let the past be the past…"

Inside, Ranma is happy that she's taken that stance. However, he's still a little nervous… her being this close to him most of the day has "overloaded" his systems, so to speak. Akane notices his nervousness and decides to ask a question.

"Ranma, are you okay?"

"Akane, I'm sorry, it's just I'm used to yah hittin' me and yellin' at me when you're this close… or when I was this close to other girls…"

"Oh…" Is about all that Akane can say… his words are almost like another slap in the face for her. She turns her head away and thinks… 'My past comes back to haunt me again… just like Happosai said it would… but… Ranma is willing to forgive me… and I need to do that for him, too…'

Akane turns around and slowly moves her right hand towards Ranma's cheek…

As she does so, the martial artist can feel his heart start to race, despite mentally trying to convince himself that it's 'okay now… she's not gonna hurt me…'

When her hand gently touches his cheek, she looks into his eyes. 'He's got a questioning look on his face… he's probably thinking "why didn't she hit me?" Damn it…'

"Ranma…" Akane says softly. "Am I hitting you now? Or hurting you?"

"Nn-no…"

"I'm sorry for treating you the way I did..."Akane says in an attempt to reach Ranma… to make him see that it's "all right". A smile flickers on his face for a moment and then his expression returns to that of seriousness.

"Akane… I umm…"

Seeing that Ranma is trying to express himself, Akane smiles.

"Yes?"

"I'm umm… sorry too… I called yah a bunch of names…"

"Oh, Ranma…" Akane says happily. She moves her body towards Ranma…

"You guys are gonna make me rich... and make front page news tomorrow..." A voice softly says as the flash of a camera fills the dojo, stopping Akane short of her goal.

Ranma and Akane look at Nabiki, who just shrugs her shoulders.

"What? I couldn't help it… you two were getting so close…"

Akane sticks out her tongue. "Too bad… cause we're gonna get closer…"

Before Nabiki can react, Akane kisses Ranma… who for the second time that day feels her warm lips on his. After a few moments, she pulls away from the now wide-eyed Ranma and looks over at Nabiki- who's totally flabbergasted.

"Looks like you missed that picture, Sis…" Akane says with a chuckle. She reaches her hand out to Ranma and helps him to his feet. "See yah…"

Nabiki watches as the two walk out of the dojo and back into the main house. She grins and begins thinking… 'I didn't need that picture… I've got plenty of you two already… I'm gonna make a killing in the morning…'

After thinking about her plan for tomorrow morning, Nabiki heads into the house and straight for the dining room, where she finds her father, Kasumi, Akane, and Ranma eating dinner.

"Your dinner is getting cold…" Kasumi says as Nabiki enters the room.

"I'm sorry… I had to figure a few things out…" Nabiki says as she sits down at the table and begins to load her plate with food. As she eats, she thinks about the perfect comment to make to get Akane back for her comment earlier…

"How did your date go, Akane?" Soun asks, wondering how it turned out.

Akane smiles. "I had a lot of fun… Ranma and I had a good time…"

"I'm glad to hear that…" Soun replies, happy for his daughter.

"What did you two do on your date?" Kasumi asks just before Nabiki was going to speak.

"Well, we went to the park and talked for a while… there was a little interruption but I took care of that really quick. After that, Ranma took me to this little café for lunch… and then we walked around for a while and came back here…" Akane snaps her fingers. "And he bought me roses…"

All eyes turn and look at Ranma, whose face is now a bright red.

Nabiki's interest is perked as well. 'I didn't start following them until after they left the café… I wonder what she meant…'

"I umm… yeah… we had a good t-time… Akane was very… nice…" Ranma says nervous a moment later.

"That's wonderful… you two are off to a good start already…" Kasumi says with a smile.

"But, you know… you two could make it even better…" Nabiki says in a teasing tone of voice.

Ranma rolls his eyes and Akane sighs aloud.

"Why so glum little sis? Ranma here could show you how much he appreciates you…" Nabiki says with a wink.

"Now now Nabiki… I don't think Ranma and Akane are ready for that level of intimacy… this was their first date. I hope it's the first of many…" Soun says as he looks over at his daughter and her fiancée.

"Thanks dad… I hope so too…" Akane says nodding her head.

Ranma has an idea a moment later. 'Why should Akane and I get teased all the time? What about Nabiki and her love life?'

"Say, Nabiki… what about you?"

"Huh?" Nabiki says, having no idea what Ranma is talking about.

"Oh, come on now, surely you can get a date…"

Akane looks over at Ranma and then at Nabiki.

"Tell us about your love life… since you seem so interested in ours…" Akane says with a grin.

"Me!" Nabiki says, shocked by what those two were asking. "I umm… well… it's none of your business…" With that, Nabiki stands up and leaves the table and the room.

Kasumi sighs. "You shouldn't tease her like that… Nabiki has it rougher then you think she does…"

Ranma and Akane look at Kasumi and wonder what she means by that. Soun excuses himself from the table and goes off and makes a phone call.

"Ranma, you did a good job… just keep being open with my sister…" Kasumi says with a smile.

"Y-yeah…" Ranma replies back, sneaking a quick glance over at Akane- who notices out of the corner of her eye.

"Today was easy… just wait until we go to class tomorrow…" Akane says as she elbows Ranma.

"Oh yeah… I forgot about that…"

In another part of Nerima, Ukyo is taking out the trash when she spots something unusual next to the garbage cans.

"It's… a little black pig…" Ukyo picks up the pig and notices a bandana around its neck. 'Is this Akane's pig… P-chan?'

The piglet sneezes and Ukyo cannot help but feel sorry for it. She gently takes P-chan into her arms and carries him inside. 'Poor little pig… its got a cold…'

Ryoga feels warm and comfortable… 'Is this a dream? I feel so… pampered…' He opens his eyes and notices that he's wrapped in a towel which is sitting next to a bath. Hot steam fills the room as Ukyo draws some bath water for P-chan.

'I hope this will help warm him up…'

Ukyo hums a tune as the water pours into the bathtub. A few minutes later, she turns off the water and picks up P-chan, who had fallen asleep again.

"Time to warm up… hopefully this will make you feel better…"

Ryoga can feel the steam hitting his body… his eyes open just before he's immersed into the hot water.

"It's okay…" Ukyo says as notices the pigs' reaction. A moment later a figure emerges from the water… causing Ukyo to stop dead in her tracks.

"R-R-Ryoga?" Ukyo stammers, not believing what she just saw.

Ryoga sneezes and rubs his nose. "I don't… feel so good…" Ukyo looks up at Ryoga and notices that he has a flushed face, sweaty features, and puffy eyes.

The lost boy passes out and sinks back into the tub… and fails to come back up. Ukyo quickly snaps out of her statue-like position and pulls him out of the water.

"Ryoga! Are you okay?"

Ukyo gets no response… but can see that he's breathing quite heavily. 'He needs some rest… and maybe some light soup later… he's exhausted. I've never seen him like this before…'

Ukyo gently pulls Ryoga out of the bathtub… however, when his body touches the cold floor, he begins to shiver uncontrollably…

In a flash Ukyo rushes over to a nearby cabinet and pulls out several towels and covers Ryoga up. His shivering slowly subsides… Ukyo touches his face and notices that his skin feels clammy and cold. 'He's really sick… he needs to be warmed up right away…'

Ryoga's eyes flutter open and he groggily looks at Ukyo, his eyes squinting as they try and make out the figure that's standing above him.

"Where am I?" A very weak voice almost squeaks a moment later.

"You stay here… I'll get a futon ready for you, okay?" Ukyo says in a comforting tone.

Ryoga weakly nods and waits… still unsure about where he's at and who's helping him out. Ukyo rushes out of the room and takes out her spare futon and sets it up. 'I hope this will do… I really don't have many guests… I hope it's warm enough…'

When Ukyo returns to the bathroom, she finds Ryoga has fallen asleep again. 'I guess there's only one way to do this… the hard way…'

Ukyo takes a deep breath and then stoops down and picks up Ryoga. She carries the lost boy into the other room and covers his body with the futon's blanket, hoping that between the towels and the blanket that he'll be warm enough. She spends several minutes staring at Ryoga and thinking about what has just happened.

'He's… P-chan? I don't believe it… all those times Akane was talking about that pig… it was him. I wonder why he was lying over by the garbage cans?'

A sneeze interrupts Ukyo's line of thought and brings her attention back to her "patient"…

"Where am I?"

"You're at my place…"

"Ukyo?" Ryoga says aloud, finally recognizing her voice.

"I think you need to rest… you're looking really pale Ryoga…" A concerned Ukyo says as she looks at Ryoga's face.

"Thank the gods… I made it out alive… and I'll be safe…" Ryoga says in a rambling tone of voice before falling asleep once again.

Ryoga's last statement makes Ukyo wonder aloud. "What did he mean by that? It sounds like he was in some kind of battle or something…"

Ukyo silently watches Ryoga and recalling some of her "adventures" that she had with Ryoga… ones that were directed towards getting Akane paired up with him and not Ranma. 'Those were the days…'

After stretching, Ukyo stands up and walks over to the other side of the room, where a familiar picture once again beckons her attention…

'I helped him… to find Akane… but he did save me…' Ukyo looks over her shoulder at her closet and blushes. 'I still have that pink dress… like I'd ever wear that in public…'

While Ukyo makes some soup and takes care of the ailing Ryoga, she cannot help wonder what school will be like tomorrow… and the next day. 'I'm going to have to face Akane tomorrow… and Ranma… I hope everything will be all right…'

To be continued in Chapter 8: Return to Class

Sorry about the delay in writing this chapter, I've been real busy with work and school. I have lots of notes for my next chapter of Ranma and NGE, so keep your eyes on whatever website you're reading it on. Please read and review!

Omake for above part:

Ryoga blinked and looked at Akane and Ranma. "You mean... you're not mad at me?"

Akane just smiled back sweetly- "Of course not Ryoga, why would I be mad at you, you only abused my trust, tarnished my honor, slept in my bed, saw me naked, tried to destroy what happiness I did have, and caused me to constantly abuse my fiancée when he tried to protect me from one of the worlds biggest perverts... why would I be mad?"

Ryoga just blinked at them. Ranma then chuckled and added, "Ryoga... here's your sign..."


	8. Chapter 8: Return to Class

Chapter 8: Return to Class

Thanks to Luke and Tex for their help with this chapter and for the prereading. You guys rock!

The next morning, Monday…

After getting ready for school herself, Akane heads over to Ranma's room to see if he's ready to go to school. She slowly opens the door… and then sighs aloud. 'He's still sleeping! If he doesn't get ready soon… we'll be late for school. I'm going to wake him up…'

Akane slowly tip-toes over to the sleeping Ranma and prepares to wake him up… and then stops dead in her tracks. 'What'd he just say?'

"Akane…" The youngest Tendo blushes as her name is uttered once again. A few moments later, however, there is a different utterance from Ranma's mouth.

"Akane… don't… don't leave me…" The unconscious Ranma mumbles softly, causing Akane to feel worried. She moves in closer and notices that he's clutching his pillow tightly… and tears appear to be falling from his still closed eyes.

After taking a deep breath, she pauses and tries to figure out what's going on. 'Why is he crying? He said… "Don't leave me"… why did he say that? Oh, Ranma…'

Akane whispers quietly in his ear that she'll never leave him... and then she slowly moves back to the door and steps outside. 'I know… I'm supposed to be working on this… but… we need to get going… sorry Ranma…"

Pushing open the door hard she yells "RANMA! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE AGAIN!"

"Huh? What?" A startled Ranma says, being jolted from unconsciousness by an all too familiar yell.

"I said we're going to be late… get up and get dressed!" Akane yells from the entrance of the room.

"Oh, okay… I'll be out in a second…" Ranma says as he stands up. Akane closes the door and suddenly finds a grinning Nabiki standing right in front of her.

"My, my… is that anyway to wake up your man in the morning?"

"Look… we're going to be late if he doesn't get moving…" Akane says, trying to explain away what she just did. Nabiki, however, doesn't buy that idea…

"The way you just reacted… reminded me of something…"

"Like what?" Akane asks, curious about what her sister means by that.

"An old sci-fi movie… Star Trek II: The Wrath of A-Khan-e…"

Akane rolls her eyes and then pounds on Ranma's door. "Are you ready yet?"

Ranma's door opens a second later and the now dressed Ranma emerges from the room. "Ready… let's go…"

"You two lovebirds be safe now… see you at school…" With that, Nabiki heads downstairs and quickly rushes out the door, determined to beat the couple to school. After a brief pause, Ranma and Akane rush downstairs and out the door, stopping only to get a bento from Kasumi for their lunch.

About halfway to school, Akane pulls Ranma aside into a side alley. After looking around and making sure that no one is in sight, she looks intently at Ranma.

"What yah doing? Aren't we gonna be late if we don't keep going?" Ranma says with a sigh.

"Ranma… I have something important to tell you…" Akane says softly.

"Oh…" Is about all Ranma can say. He focuses all of his attention on Akane so he can hear every word that she has to say.

She looks into his eyes and smiles. "Ranma…"

"Y-yeah?" Ranma nervously replies as she gets closer and closer. Akane gives him no audio reply but chooses actions over words… using her lips to convey her feelings. Ranma's eyes close as he wraps his arms around her and gets lost in the warmth of her lips…

As the kissing continues, Ranma's pigtail suddenly shoots straight back. 'Did she… just do that? Was that her… tongue?'

Akane gently breaks the kiss and looks at the stunned martial artist. 'He's frozen in place… I think my tongue was a little too far… but I wanted to do more with him…'

"Ranma… I'll never leave you…" Akane says softly as she gently touches his cheek.

A few moments later, Ranma regains his composure and is about to say something… but then remembers something very important…

"Umm… s-shouldn't we be getting to class?"

"Yeah… and Ranma… I'm sorry if we get in trouble at school… I just had to umm… talk to you before we got there…" Akane says as a blush creeps across her face.

Ranma nods his head and then the two hurriedly continue towards the school, praying that they'd get there before the morning bell…

Their prayers, however, were not answered. Upon entering the school, they notice the time and pause to catch their breath…

"I guess… after all that… we missed it by five minutes…" A nearly out of breath Akane says to Ranma.

"It's okay… we tried…" Is Ranma's reply a moment later.

Several students pass by as the two recover from their sprint to school… each one has what appears to be a collection of photos…

"What's with all those photos?" Ranma asks as the two make their way to the classroom.

"I don't know… but I have a bad feeling about this…" Akane says as the classroom comes into sight. Both teens hear some commotion as they move closer to the door…

Ranma reaches out to open the door when all of the sudden he hears an all too familiar voice behind him…

"I would have a few words with you, Akane Tendo…"

Akane and Ranma turn around and find Kuno standing there, holding up a photo sheet… which just happens to contain several pictures of them from yesterday's date…

Ranma and Akane exchange a knowing glance and a single word. "Nabiki"

Kuno is about to say more to Ranma when the door to the classroom suddenly opens. The air between Akane and Ranma is suddenly cut by many small objects passing by at high speed. The two watch as Kuno is thrown back against the wall and pinned there by several mini-spatulas…

Slowly, Akane and Ranma turn around and find Ukyo standing there, her hands defiantly on her hips and staring at the now unconscious Kuno. "He'll be all right in a little while… didn't want him to spoil the party…"

"Party? Ukyo… what are you talking about?" Ranma says, slightly stunned by what he just witnessed.

"Oh, nothing… just the little party going on right behind me in the class…" Ukyo says with a smile. "It's good to see you again, Ran-chan…"

"Um, yeah…" Ranma says, unsure of what to do due to the fact that Akane is standing there next to him. Akane moves closer and looks at Ukyo, not knowing how else to react.

"I looked at the pictures Nabiki is selling… I guess you are treating him right, just like I asked you to do…" Ukyo says to the silent Akane.

Akane, not knowing what to say, just nods her head. Ukyo motions down the hallway…

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

"S-sure…" Is the stuttered response of Akane a moment later. "Ranma… I'll meet you inside in a minute…"

Ranma wonders what's going on but shrugs his shoulders and heads inside the classroom… where he's suddenly surrounded by his classmates. Words like "Congratulations, good job, and 'It's about time…'" fill the air.

Back in the hallway, Ukyo walks a short way towards the next classroom and looks out an open window. "Akane… a part of me wishes… that I was in your place… or that you were back to your old self… yelling at Ranma all the time…"

"I'm never going back to being like that… I've…" Akane's voice starts to drop off.  
"I've hurt him too much… and I don't want to hurt him anymore…"

Ukyo sighs aloud and looks at Akane. "As much as it pains me to say this… I think he's really in love with you… especially this new you… he looked… comfortable but a little nervous…"

This time is was Akane that sighed aloud. "He probably thinks I'm going to hit him or yell at him at any moment..." her last words were barely heard. However, Ukyo swore she heard Akane curse at herself.

"This kinda thing… is new for both of us… I'm nervous, too… nervous about showing my feelings… nervous about what others think or would say…" Akane pauses to take a deep breath to regain her composure.

"Oh… that's how it is…" Ukyo looks down for a moment and then back up at Akane. 'Akane is… really being open and genuine with me… this is a good start. I want to be friends…'

"Let's get back to the party… it's mainly for you, after all…" Ukyo says, motioning towards the classroom. Akane smiles.

"I guess it is… let's go!"

Ukyo and Akane head back into the classroom and join the party in progress. A long sigh is heard in the hallway a moment later.

"Kuno-baby… what did you get yourself into now?" Nabiki quips, looking at Kuno.

When she hears no response, she moves closer and asks the same question again. After getting no response, she starts removing the spatulas from the wall…

'Why do I always have to be the one to do this? He keeps getting himself into trouble because of that big mouth of his…' Nabiki thinks as she removes the final spatula, causing Kuno's slack body to fall. She picks him up and slowly carries him down to the nurses office, silently wondering if he'll be all right…

"What happened to him?" The head nurse exclaims as Nabiki enters the office, Kuno en tow.

"I have no idea… but he must've gotten Ukyo angry… he was pinned to the wall by mini-spatulas…"

"Oh, I see…" The nurse walks over to Nabiki and the two pick him up and lay him down on a nearby table. Nabiki silently watches as the nurse checks his vital signs and performs other basic tests on the unconscious Kuno.

"Well… it seems like he has a minor concussion… but other then that, he'll be fine. I'm going to get some bandages… can you keep at eye on him, please?"

Nabiki nods her head and the nurse leaves the room. One of Kuno's hands begins to move and Nabiki takes it and holds it. "Hey, wake up…"

Kuno suddenly sits up, his body ramrod straight. "Where am I?"

"You're in the head nurse's office… you got Ukyo pissed off and then got pinned to the wall…"

"I do not recall any such incident…" Kuno says as he places a hand on his head.

"Really?"

"I remember saying something to Akane and then… darkness…"

"Oh…"

"My medicine… where is it?" Kuno asks as he scans the room. Nabiki silently wonders what he's talking about.

"Sasuke! I summon thee!" Kuno exclaims… and a moment later, the ninja comes into the room.

"What is it, Master?"

"Where is my medicine?"

A moment later, the head nurse returns. Kuno asks the question again, and the nurse starts looking around… about thirty seconds later, a white bottle is produced and placed on a nearby table.

"Hold on a second… what's that for?" A curious Nabiki asks.

"I'm under strict orders to make sure that he takes this everyday… that's coming straight from the principal…" The head nurse replies as she begins to pour out some of the liquid into a separate glass.

Sasuke steps up to the table. "I'll take care of that… I'm sure you have other things to do… and this is my Master after all…"

"Sure… I'll be back in a while to check on Mr. Kuno again…" Is the hearty reply a moment later.

Sasuke finishes filling the glass as the nurse leaves… and then stops as soon as she's out of the room. "This foul liquid must be disposed of…"

Kuno watches as Sasuke takes the medicine to a nearby sink and begins to pour it down the drain. "What are you doing?"

"Now hold on a second…" Nabiki says, holding back Kuno. "Just what's in that medicine?"

After motioning towards the bottle, Sasuke says plainly. "See for yourself…"

Nabiki releases Kuno and takes a closer look at the bottle. 'What the hell is this? It's got so many warnings on it… it sounds like a poison instead of a medicine. Why is his father making him take this?'

A concerned Nabiki looks at Kuno. "This stuff looks pretty bad… why are you taking this?"

"I do not want to…" Is about all the kendoist can say back.

Sasuke shakes his head. "I've slowly been reducing his dosage… it's near zero now. This medicine is doing much more harm then good… I couldn't bear to see my master in such pain and such a sorry state so I've been secretly lowering the dosage…"

"This medicine… just doesn't seem right…" Nabiki says, agreeing with Sasuke.

"I… want to stop taking it… everything seems different recently… in a good way…" Sasuke looks over at Kuno and knows that what he's been doing has been for the best.

'All these delusions… and him acting like an ass… are the result of this medicine?' Nabiki ponders. 'Come to think of it… he wasn't always delusional… that must've started when he was given this medicine…'

"Oh, I almost forgot…" Kuno pulls out some money from his pocket. "This is for your services the other day… thank you for restoring my mother's ashes to their proper place…"

Nabiki slowly reaches out and takes the money. "It was no problem…"

Sasuke bows and excuses himself from the room. Kuno looks up at the clock and then at Nabiki.

"You should go back to class, I will be fine after some more rest…"

"Uh, sure…" Nabiki looks up at the clock and notices the time. 'I guess he's right…'

Nabiki says goodbye to Kuno and heads up to class. As the day goes on, she cannot help but think about certain things. 'I was making money… off of his sickness and his delusions…'

The school day passes by slowly for Akane, Ranma, and Ukyo… all three are thinking about various things… Ukyo is thinking about what Nodoka told her a few days ago… and Ranma and Akane about another pressing problem.

After school, Akane leads Ranma outside and the two head over to a more isolated part of the schoolyard and sit under a tree. After looking around and finding no one nearby, Akane starts to speak her mind to Ranma.

"Ranma… we have a problem. It's… hard enough to do this without having our private lives showcased in front of everyone. I'm not ready for everyone to see me like this…"

"Akane… you're right. I umm… like our time together… and I wanna take my time getting to know yah… I don't need pressure from other people…"

Akane leans against Ranma and sighs. "I know my sister isn't being mean… but still… I'd feel a lot better if she stopped taking pictures of us…"

"Problem with that is… how to do it?"

"Hmm…" Akane starts to think of a solution to the problem. About twenty seconds later, she has the answer. "Why don't we sell some pictures of her?"

"They'd have to be some… interesting pictures for her to get the message… hmmm…"

Akane has an idea. "She takes pictures of us in… revealing situations… so…"

Akane and Ranma turn and look at each other and speak the same thought aloud a moment later. "Get her in the same way…"

"But how?" Ranma wonders aloud. "She's always on guard… she'd know that we were up to somethin'…"

"Well…" Akane begins to blush. "I have an idea…"

"Are you thinking about one of those… yah know… underwear stores or somethin'…"

Akane's eyebrows shoot up and she looks over at Ranma and whispers softly. "Pervert…"

Instead of going on the defensive, Ranma just smiles. "I guess I was right, huh? That'd mean I wasn't the only pervert here…"

"I umm… don't know what you mean…" Akane's blush grows even more intense. 'He's onto me… I think he can tell that I have feelings and ideas about certain things… especially if they have to do with him…'

"So… what's the plan?" Ranma says, trying to change the subject slightly and not get into a fight with Akane.

"I guess I could take her out shopping… which would get her out of the house for a while. You could set up a hidden camera or something… so when we show each other our outfits, you can get some pictures… there's just one problem…"

"What's that?" A curious Ranma asks.

"We'd probably need one of those spy cameras… and those cost a lot of money…"

Ranma thinks for a second and then pulls out some money from his pocket.

"If it'll help us out… I'm willing to spend some money. Besides… maybe we could give the pictures to Kuno and see how she likes it when he starts wanting more pictures of her."

Akane smiles. "Hmm… that sounds good. He'll still want pictures of us… but also of her… good thinking, Ranma."

"Well, umm Akane… I can't take all the credit…" Ranma looks down at Akane. "We were thinking alike, yah know…"

Akane looks up at Ranma. "I know… and I guess that shows that we are two of a kind…"

Ranma starts to blush and so does Akane… after realizing what she just said. Both have a similar thought pass through their minds… 'Us… two of a kind… that's… what we've been denying to each other for so long… but it's true… we are more alike then we admitted before…'

Ranma and Akane head home after spending a few minutes together in silence, confident in this new idea of theirs. Akane looks around the house for Nabiki and finds her in her room, counting up a large sum of money.

"Can I come in?" Akane says as she peers inside the half open doorway.

"Sure sis, come in. Don't mind me… just counting some cash…"

"Oh… all this from pictures of me and Ranma?"

"Not exactly. I helped Kuno out this weekend with a crisis and he paid me… quite well…"

"Oh, I see. Well umm… did you want to go… shopping with me?" Akane asks, hoping for a "yes" response to her query. 'I'm sure she may want to spend some of that money she just got… this should work…'

"I guess… I do have a few yen to spare…" Nabiki chuckles. "Are we going clothes shopping?"

"Well, umm…" Akane blushes slightly. "I guess you could call it that…"

"Oh… you wanna get some lingerie, don't you?" Nabiki says, realizing what Akane must mean… her blush was a dead giveaway to that fact. "You two are getting that close already? It's only been a few days since you won that fight for him and now you want something he can see you in… or out of…" Nabiki says that last part with a wink, causing Akane's blush to deepen.

Akane manages to softly reply to her sister's question. "It's not like that, Nabiki... we've only been out on one real date as a couple so far..."

"Sure, okay sis, whatever..." Nabiki said in disbelief.

"Well, if you don't believe me, I'm leaving!" Akane turns around and heads for the door.

"Wait a second… don't be like that. I'll come with you… and I'll even help you pick out something really nice for Ranma…"

Akane stops moving and sighs. 'I hope this is worth it…' With her back still to Nabiki, she responds. "I'll be ready in five minutes…"

"Sure… I'll meet you down by the front door…"

Akane heads over to Ranma's door and quietly enters the room. Ranma looks up and sees Akane.

"We're about to leave… you know what to do, right?" Akane says in a near whisper.

"Sure… pick up one of them spy cameras and make a small hole looking from your room into hers. As long as no one sees me go into or leave your room, I'll be safe…"

Akane smiles. "Sounds like you got it down, Ranma."

"You umm... do realize what I will have to umm... see while I take these pictures..." Ranma says with much hesitance and fear.

"I know what you mean... and I'm kind of embarrassed to let you see me like that, despite all the times we've seen each other in different states of undress. As for Nabiki and what she'll have on- you better not look more then you need to or else!" Akane said with a hint of jealousy at the end.

"Feh, its not like I want to see her that way…"

Akane is stunned as he said that. "So you don't want to see her in her in her... you know..."

"Why would I?"

"B-because she's um… " Akane looked down at herself and sighed about how developed her sister was over her.

"She's what?"

"Damn it Ranma! She's bigger than I am!" Akane said though clenched teeth.

"Is that all... its not like it matters, I mean it doesn't matter to me."

Akane blinked, hard. 'It didn't matter to him?' She thought in wonder.

"Geeze if I only looked at those... umm... " He blushed. "Then I'd picked Shampoo a long time ago..."

Akane is dumbstruck. "I knew you looked at her chest!"

"It's kinda hard not to when she was thrust them in my face! It like she wanted me to

see them..." His body convulses. "I swear I'll never understand girls. First they say don't look then they force them in my face and I just don't wanna look at them... its..." He stops speaking as he notices Akane giggling.

"Oh, come on… how many times have you used your girl form to get stuff… or to mess with certain other people…" Akane says that last part with care, not even wanting to say Ryoga's name aloud.

'Damn… she's got me there…' Ranma thinks while trying to think of what to say next.

"I was thinking about what you said earlier, and I can only say one thing, Akane." Ranma places his hands on her shoulders. "I've used my girl form to save my life, yours, and several others without any benefit to me... remember when we fought the Orochi and saved Shinnosuke's life..."

"Of course I remember... and I ended up saving you in return..." Akane blushes as she remembers what Ranma was wearing after the defeated the orochi with the Unicorn Mongoose's horn...

Ranma smiles at Akane, he was always thankful that she came after him and saved him. He notices Akane's blushing and decides to make a comment...

"You know, you looked pretty nice... like when you were in that white dress on Toma's island… I really liked that a lot…" Akane turns even redder after this comment by Ranma.

"I thought you said that you didn't really pay attention then..." Akane snapped back. "But… I do have that dress still…"

"Well, umm..." Ranma mumbled, trying to stall for time. His prayers were answered when Nabiki's voice was heard a moment later...

"Akane, what's taking you so long?"

"I'll be right there, sis..." Akane yelled back. She immediately focuses on the task at hand.

"Ranma, are you ready to do this?"

Thinking about Akane in that white dress... Ranma hears her say "are you ready to do this?" He gulps thinking about how nice it would be to take that white dress off slowly. And then... and then... he is slapped in the face.

"Quit daydreaming and get busy!"

Touching his now stinging cheek, Ranma quickly replies. "Sure… I'll be ready… good luck."

"Thanks…" Akane looks at Ranma and feels a pang of regret for slapping him a moment ago. She places a soft kiss on his other cheek and then leaves the room… and a stunned martial artist, who wonders what he's really gotten himself into.

Kasumi sees the two sisters leave the house and is surprised… but also happy to see them spending some time together.

On the way to the store, Akane mentions her "reason" for wanting to go to the store to Nabiki. "Since both of us seem to lose half our stuff to Happosai, we might as well get something nice now and maybe we can find a hiding spot where he won't be able to find them..."

"Good thinking… I'm tired of my lingerie disappearing…"

A few minutes later, the two Tendo sisters arrive at the lingerie store. 'I guess this is it…' Akane thinks to herself as they head inside.

"Hello there! I see you've brought someone else with you today…" A voice calls out from the back of the store.

"Who's that?" Akane asks of Nabiki.

"It's my friend Naru… she runs this place…"

"Oh…"

As if on cue, Naru appears in front of the pair. Akane takes a glance at the woman who runs the store- she's a tall brunette with long hair and a warm smile who greets them both. "It's good to see you again Nabiki… who's this?" She says, motioning towards Akane. "Could this be your sister that you keep talking about?"

"Knowing my sister… I'll have to say yes. I'm Akane Tendo…" Akane extends out her hand and shakes Naru's hand.

"Naru Narusegawa… nice to meet you."

"My little sister wanted to go shopping… I think she wants some lingerie to show off for her fiancée, Ranma…"

"Nabiki!" Akane exclaims, embarrassed.

"Well, you did fight for that guy, right? Your sister was kind enough to show me the video of the fight…" Naru comments, trying to get Akane to feel a little more comfortable about her visit here, if that is the real reason for the visit.

"Yes… I did… but… you're getting something too, right sis? You said outside that you lost a lot of lingerie to a certain pervert…" Akane says, trying to make sure that Nabiki also buys something here.

"Sure, why not?"

Inwardly, Akane smiles. "Why don't you get something for yourself… and maybe Naru can help me out…"

"Sure… but why don't I help you pick out something?"

Akane shakes her head. "No thanks…"

"Fine… but you will show me later, right?" Nabiki says, curious to see what her sister picks out.

"Hmm… why not?" Akane says as she starts looking around the room. Nabiki heads off to the other side of the store and begins looking around. Naru steps up to Akane and asks her a question.

"Are you sure that you don't want your sisters' help?"

"Actually… I'd rather have you help me out…" Akane's voice trails off. "She'd probably tease me, anyways…"

Naru shrugs her shoulders. "Well, what kind of lingerie are interested in?"

"Well… I was just looking for something nice… a few more bra and panty sets… nothing… ummm… very revealing…" Akane's face starts turning red.

"I think I can help you out… just tell me what colors you like and I think you'll like what I pick out…" Naru says, knowing what Akane wants.

"Sounds good…"

The two Tendo sisters continue their shopping while Ranma is returning from the store with his new purchase. 'Thank goodness I had all that money… who knew that these things were that expensive…' He soon arrives back at the house and sneaks inside… and very carefully makes his way over to Akane's room.

'Time to set up this hole…'

Ranma carefully makes a small hole in the wall, giving him a view of Nabiki's room. He puts the camera against the hole to make sure that the angle and view are just perfect before putting the camera down on her desk.

After another five minutes go by, Ranma starts pacing around the room. 'How long are those two gonna take? I wonder…' Ranma's thought start to drift to other things as he taps his foot on the floor softly. 'That dress… she still has it…'

Another ten minutes go by before Ranma's curiosity begins to get the best of him. After staring out the window, his mind drifts again. 'Her closet… it's gotta be in there…' Slowly, Ranma makes his way over to her closet before stoppign himself and sitting down in the cair. "No... no way... not gonna look." He muttered. However ten minutes later he opens the door. Light pours into the closet and illuminates the inside…

'There it is! Gods, it's beautiful…' Ranma thinks as his eyes gaze on the white dress that Akane had worn on Toma's island. He begins to drool and a slight trickle of blood could be seen coming out of his nose.

His eyes now closed, Ranma's hand reaches out for the dress and gently caresses the fabric… he imagines that he's touching Akane …

"Oh my…"

A now mortified Ranma slowly turns his head and sees a blushing Kasumi standing in the doorway. He looks down at his hand and realizes that he was touching the dress right where her breasts would've been had she been in it. 'Oh shit…'

"It's not… it's not what you think… I mean…" Ranma begins waving his hands in front of him defensively.

"Ranma… you shouldn't be in Akane's room unless she's here…" Kasumi said in a slightly scolding tone.

"I umm… guess you're right…" Ranma says as he slowly makes his way out of the closet and towards Kasumi.

"Don't worry, Ranma… your secret is safe with me…" Kasumi says with a smile as she heads out of the room and back to what she was doing before. Ranma stands still for a moment, still in shock over what happened. 'I got caught… feeling Akane's dress up…and Kasumi thinks I'm a pervert now… geez… I'm really a pervert now… I guess Akane was right…'

Ranma leaves Akane's room and closes the door behind him. He heads towards the bathroom… with the intent of taking a cold bath. 'I can still feel that fabric on my fingers… her warm body beneath it… damn! Better hurry so I'm done before they get back…'

Thirty minutes later, Akane and Nabiki return from their shopping trip. Akane heads to her room to drop off her bags… only one bag was from Naru's shop, due to the fact that Nabiki decided to do some other shopping on the way back… 'I got a few other things, just to keep up this ruse..' She notices the camera on her desk and looks at her wall, soon discovering the small hole. 'Okay, there's the hole… so where's Ranma?'

"RANMA!"

Nabiki's calls out to her sister. "Hey, I thought you were going to show me what you got first!"

"I wasn't calling him for THAT… geez…" Akane says, her face turning red. Ranma comes running down the hallway and stops in front of Akane.

"Yeah?"

Akane whispers in his ear. "I'm heading over to Nabiki's room… are you ready?"

"S-sure…" A nervous Ranma stutters back.

"Ranma… you can do it… I… have faith in you…" Akane says sweetly, causing Ranma to smile.

"Umm… see you in a second, I guess…"

Akane reaches for her bag with the lingerie in it and heads into Nabiki's room. Ranma quietly enters Akane's room again and softly closes the door. After taking a few deep breaths, he gets the camera and gets into position. 'I hope I can make it through this… Akane in lingerie… damn… this is gonna be hard…' Ranma gulps and shakes his head. 'Please… let me get through this…'

In Nabiki's room, Akane puts her bag down and sits on Nabiki's bed. Nabiki takes the initiative. "You first, I wanna see what my baby sister got to impress her man…"

Akane blushes like a tomato...

Behind the wall, Ranma blushes as well. He was curious about what she got in that bag she had earlier... and now he gets to see. He had seen lingerie before, how could you not in that house, with Happosai around... but most of the times he seen Akane with less then a full set of clothes on he paid for it quite dearly.

Akane thinks to herself... 'Here goes nothing...' She starts to undress and then turns her back to where the camera is before taking off her bra and panties. She doesn't mind too much letting Ranma see her in lingerie, but naked is too far for this point in their relationship.

After taking off the last piece of clothing, she digs out her new bra and panty set and puts it on. Ranma nearly has a nosebleed when he gazes upon her as she does various modeling poses.

Nabiki looks at what her sister has picked up and comments on it. "Not bad, sis... black is a good color for you. A bra with lace is always sexy. Same thing goes for the panties. Ranma would probably die if he seen you in this outfit..."

A moment later, Ranma does nearly die- the way Akane looks is affecting him so profoundly. He can't breath and his nose wants to explode...

Akane blushes a little and then speaks. "I hope not... but I'm sure he'll like it..."

Ranma can only nod his head slowly... he most certainly likes what she is wearing. His view of her will never be the same again. Akane bends over to pick up her clothes and put them on Nabiki's bed and unknowingly gives Ranma a very nice view of her behind.

Nabiki responds a moment later. "I see you even picked the one that enhances your own figure... you get anything else?"

"Sure… I picked out a white one, too…"

Akane goes through the same motions with the other bra and panty set… and Ranma's eyes are as large as saucers. 'She's gorgeous… why the hell did I call her uncute? Unsexy? Damn… she's definitely both cute and sexy…'

"Okay… now it's my turn. Let me show you something that will really wow a man..."

Nabiki goes over to her closet and takes out a bag. "Akane, here's what I got... let me know if it was a good choice."

Ranma watches as Nabiki pulls out a type of lingerie that he hadn't seen before.

Akane looks at the garment and wonders aloud. "Who's the lucky man?"

Nabiki, with a hurt look on her face, replies. "No one yet"

Akane feels hurt about her comment after seeing how her sister reacted. She decides to cheer her up... "I'm sorry, Nabiki. I'm sure you would look great wearing that..."

Nabiki tries to smile and then nods her head. "Do you still want to see it?"

"Of course I do... and whatever else you picked up today."

Nabiki starts to undress and Ranma starts to take pictures as she does so. His eyebrows rise as each piece of clothing comes off... and his eyes bug out at the site of a naked Nabiki.

Ranma and Akane begin to feel bad after hearing Nabiki's comment a moment ago. They both have a common thought… 'She's lonely… this could make things worse…'

Nabiki puts on the purple merrywidow and then models the outfit for Akane.

"What do you think, sis? I think it looks good..."

Akane pauses before responding to that. 'And I thought I was a pervert… still… it looks kinda nice…' She clears her mind and then speaks…

"I never seen someone wearing of those before... and you look great in it."

Akane places her hand on her sisters' shoulder and smiles. Nabiki feels a lot better inside after seeing her sister's smile, she can tell that she is sincere about her comments.

Akane is curious about the other purchases her sister made, and asks her to show her whatever else she got at the store. Ranma switches film and barely gets the new roll in before Nabiki starts to change into the second outfit.

Nabiki soon has outfit number two on, a black halter babydoll. She does a pose and then asks for her sister's verdict on this one...

"Looks like something you sleep in..."

Nabiki puts her hand on Akane's shoulder. "Sis, you don't know much about lingerie, so I'll let you in on something. This kinda lingerie isn't meant to be worn for more then 30 minutes at most..."

"Oh... then why wear it?" Is Akane's response a moment later.

Nabiki sighs. "Sis... you... well... you'll learn eventually..." She clears her throat and then decides to tease her sister a little. "Oh Ranma! I picked this out just for you!" She says, fake swooning in Akane's voice.

"What!"

"Oh Ranma, don't you just love it?" Nabiki says, continuing her teasing. She does a few modeling poses, giving Ranma and Akane a view of her breasts and other -ass-ets.

Nabiki imitates her sisters' voice once again. "Oh Ranma... I don't think I can get his off by myself... can you help me?"

Ranma nearly passes out from blood loss as he pictured Akane wearing what Nabiki was currently wearing.

For her part, Akane tried to keep herself from shouting, but was unable to do so... "Quit it Nabiki!"

"Oh, so you've thought about showing this off to Ranma already then?" Nabiki points at her sister.

'It's a little too late for that...' Akane thinks to herself. 'I'd better give Nabiki an answer.'

"Ranma and I... are getting closer. Maybe one day he'll be lucky enough to see this wonderful outfit I have on..."

A dreamy Ranma mutters something about already having seen it to himself.

Nabiki continues teasing Akane. "Oh, so you're no longer my pure sister? What will father think!" After clearing her throat, she begins impersonating Soun. "Oh my baby girl is finally a woman!"

Akane just rolls her eyes and focuses on the end result of this plan… and wonders if it was worth it.

A moment later, Kasumi knocks on the door. "Nabiki, you have a phone call."

"I'll be there in a moment!"

"Thank Kami…" Ranma says, trying to catch his breath.

Nabiki turns and looks at Akane. "Well, sis... it's been fun. Thanks for your opinions..."

Nabiki's smile really hits Akane... the thought of 'Are we doing the right thing' crosses her mind as Nabiki changes back into her regular clothes.

Ranma packs up the camera... after one last look at Akane...

'Damn she's beautiful... and I used to call her uncute... what an ass I was…'

After Nabiki leaves, Akane sits on Nabiki's bed, still clothed in her lingerie and thinks about her sister and her situation. Ranma waits patiently in Akane's room and is worried when she doesn't come back right away.

'Somethin's wrong… I'm gonna go see what's going on…' Ranma decides to sneak over to Nabiki's room. He finds a very worried Akane just sitting on the bed and staring at the floor...

After sitting down on the bed, Akane leans against him, causing him to blush...

"Akane, what's wrong?"

"I'm having... second thoughts, Ranma. My sister is very lonely, I can tell... and I dont want to hurt her."

"Let's talk about this later… I... I..."

Ranma is taken by her appearance and with great difficulty tears his eyes away from her. There is a moment of silence before the sound of voices can be heard in the distance... very familiar ones...

"It was nice of Akane to invite Nabiki to go shopping with her, I hope they had fun. You three need to spend more time together..."

"You're right, father."

Ranma is the first one to cringe. "We gotta get out of here, now!"

Ranma stiffly stood up... mainly to hide a certain reaction from Akane...

"But Ranma, I'm not even..."

"No time, grab your clothes and let's go!"

Akane urgently grabs her clothes and then both her and Ranma run out the door, ending up in Akane's room a moment later. After Ranma shuts the door, he sits down on the bed next to Akane. Suddenly, Soun and Kasumi's surprised expressions are heard near by… they're surprised to find Nabiki's door wide open and no one in the room...

"Father, I thought Nabiki said Akane was in her room... maybe she went back to her own room."

"Maybe, let's go see..."

Akane's eyes grow wide as she hears the footsteps come closer...

"Ranma, hide the camera and then go hide in the closet. I can't have you being caught in here with me looking like this!"

Ranma's eyes traveled her body and he made a good impression of a statue at just the sight of her... but with a little slap to the back of his head he began to move.

"Now, Ranma!" She blushes. "You can see this another time! Move!"

Ranma quickly runs into her closet and hides before a knock is heard on the door. She promptly closes the door, leaving him in darkness. Akane's last statement rings in his mind... she said that I can see her in that outfit another time. A smile forms on his face as he utters a few words to himself...

"I certainly hope so, Akane... you certainly looked sexy in that lingerie..."

"Akane, are you in there?" A voice calls out from the hallway.

"I'll be out in a second…" Akane replies back, trying not to sound nervous.

Akane takes a look at the closet and sighs, hoping that Ranma will be okay after all of this. She quickly grabs a pair of pants and a black sweater, to conceal her new purchase. Afetr changing she gently taps on the closet and whispers to Ranma…

"I'm leaving… so sneak out when you can, okay?"

Ranma whispers back. "Sure…"

After taking one last look at her closet, Akane leaves the room. Ranma waits until the sounds of the others fade away before slowly opening the door. After walking out of the closet, he moves to close the door when his eyes once again catch a glimpse of something all too familiar…

'There's her white dress… damn… seeing her in that dress was bad enough… but now her in lingerie… wow… she's really beautiful. I'd better get out of here while I have the chance…'

Ranma quietly tip-toes for the door and slowly opens it. After peeking outside, he carefully opens the door all the way and walks into the main hallway… and stops dead in his tracks.

"What were you doing in there, Ranma?" Nabiki says with a smile.

Not knowing what to say, he gives the best response that he can. Unfortunately for him, it came out in what sounded like Ranma-chan's voice. "Ummm... nothing…"

"Oh, really? I'd bet you were in there looking through her stuff... especially her "personal" stuff... did she tell you that we went shopping today?"

Ranma thinks. 'I gotta make up an excuse for Nabiki...' He tries to make up a reasonable excuse. "I was just leaving her a um... surprise present..."

"Sure, Ranma, whatever... I bet you wanted to see her new lingerie…"

Ranma shakes his head though Nabiki has no idea that he's already seen the lingerie… with her in it.

"Hey, there's no need to lie… you two are a real couple now, right? No suitors or fiancées to stand in the way of your love…"

Nabiki leans over and says something to Ranma before heading downstairs. "Don't worry… you're secret is safe with me…"

Ranma watches as Nabiki heads downstairs and just shakes his head. 'I've only heard that twice today… now both sisters think I'm a pervert…'

Downstairs at the dining room table, Nabiki sits down and joins the discussion that Soun is having with his daughters. Ranma heads back to his room and thinks about what Akane said.

"Hey sis, I just saw something interesting…" Nabiki says, nudging Akane in the ribs.

"Look… I don't wanna hear it… I've got stuff on my mind…" Akane says defensively.

"Oh, but don't you want to know what your fiancée was doing upstairs?"

Akane stands up and excuses herself from the table. 'I need to go workout… but I can't go upstairs and change…'

Nabiki and the others are surprised by her response. Kasumi thinks about what Nabiki just said and has a good idea of what Ranma may have been doing… but decides not to say anything… being a woman of her word.

"Nabiki, let's talk about something else…"

"Oh, you're no fun…" Nabiki says, disappointed in the fact that no one's interested in hearing this little tidbit about Ranma.

As Akane leaves the house and heads over to the dojo, she fails to notice Ranma sneaking out of the house and onto the open street. 'I've gotta pick up somethin'… and get this film dropped off, too…'

Over in the dojo, Akane goes through a number of exercises and lets her feelings flow as she works out.

'He saw me… in lingerie… and it makes me feel a bunch of different things. I know I'd normally be angry for him seeing me like that but… but… now I feel different. I almost feel… good about this. Maybe Happosai was right… there's no reason to push these feelings away… he was looking at me and it's good to be noticed. Maybe I should ask him what he thought of my new purchases… hmm…'

Akane takes a break after a while and wipes the sweat off of her brow. 'I wish I hadn't picked a sweater… I'm getting really hot. Might as well head inside and take a bath…'

Akane heads inside and takes a long soak in the bath… letting her muscles and her mind relax. As she leaves the bathroom, Nabiki approaches her.

"Hey sis, you didn't let me finish what I was saying earlier… I caught Ranma sneaking out of your room a little while ago… he said something about leave you a surprise or something… but I don't believe that…"

"I'm sure he's telling the truth… he has been working on being more romantic lately…" Akane says, trying to stand up for him.

"Well… why don't we go and see then?"

"All right…"

Akane leads the way to her room and Nabiki opens the door. The two look inside to see who was right… two sets of eyebrows are raised as they scan the room, though for two separate reasons.

"I uh… guess I was wrong…" Is about all Nabiki can manage to say. A bouquet of pink roses sits on Akane's bed next a similar one of red roses. Akane blushes and feels very warm inside.

'Oh, Ranma… they're beautiful… this is so romantic…'

"I told you he was in here for a good reason… look at these wonderful roses. Ranma is trying his best for me…"

"It's only taken him how long to get you some flowers?" Nabiki says, trying to save face.

"Wait a second… he may have gotten flowers before… but he got me two bouquets… not because he had to… but because he wanted to…"

"Oh really… if he really wanted to, there would be a card in there…" Nabiki quips back.

Akane giggles as she reaches over to the red rose bouquet and pulls a small card that had been attached to the base of the bouquet. "No card, huh sis?"

Holding his breath, Ranma looks in on the scene from above Akane's window and can't help but think to himself. 'Damn that was close… another minute or two earlier and they'd have caught me…'

"Sooo…" Nabiki looks over her sisters' shoulder. "What'd he say?"

Opening the card, Akane begins to read aloud. "To a very se... special... Tomboy. Signed... your baka." She finished with a bright blush adorning her face. 'I can't believe Ranma called me 'sexy'!' She thought happily and clutched the card to her chest.

"Okay, okay… so I was wrong… I'm outta here…" Nabiki says, making a quick exit. She goes back to her room and lies down on the bed. 'Who'd have thought… Ranma thinking ahead… and being romantic… I guess he's really taking this seriously… good. I don't want to see my sister hurt…'

Ranma decides to wait a little while before returning inside. 'I think she really liked the roses… and the card.' He tries to calm his beating heart before casually entering the house and heading upstairs.

A gently knock on her door gets Akane's attention away from her new flowers, now displayed prominently in two vases on her desk. She had been looking out her window at the sky…

"Hey Akane, you in there?"

"Ranma... come in…" Akane says happily.

"I umm... see you got the roses I bought yah…"

"Ranma… close the door…"

"Uh, sure…" Ranma says, not knowing what's going to happen next. As soon as the door closes, Akane walks up to Ranma and gives him a hug… resting her head against his chest.

"I loved the roses… some of those petals fell off onto the bed… so I have a bed of roses now…" Akane says softly.

"Y-yeah… umm… I was hoping that would happen…" Ranma says, not totally understanding what that phrase meant.

"I think I liked your card the best, though…"

Ranma laughs nervously. "Really? Ya know I ain't no good wit' words…"

"Ranma… you can hold me too if you want…" Akane says, trying to make him feel more comfortable and hoping that he cannot hear the pleading tone of her voice.

"S-sure…" Ranma's arms slowly wrap around Akane and she looks up, a smile on her face.

"So… I see you've given up on calling me an uncute tomboy… now I'm a sexy one, huh?"

Ranma blushes. "Well, umm… yeah…"

Akane blushes as well. "You can call me 'your tomboy'… but only under one condition…"

"And what's that?" A curious Ranma asks, wondering what that condition could be.

"You're MY baka…"

Ranma grins. "Yah know… people may think we're fightin' or somethin' if we call each other names like this…"

"Does that bother you?"

Ranma has a strange glint in his eyes. "Yah know… that don't bother me at all, tomboy…"

Before Akane can respond vocally, she feels her body being pulled closer to his. She closes her eyes and rests her head on his chest again. "Baka…"

As the couple enjoy a warm moment in private, events were happening elsewhere in Japan that would affect them both in the future…

"Do you realize what you've done? I'm really surprised that Ranma turned out as good as he has… he certainly didn't have the best role model for a father…"

"But Nodoka…" Genma says, waving his hands. "You haven't heard the whole story…"

Nodoka shakes her head and briefly touches her sword, causing Genma to cringe.

"Yes, I have… your son told me about everything that you've done… Genma, I'm really ashamed about the way you've acted…" Nodoka says with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"But…" Genma sputters.

"I don't even know where to start…" Nodoka reaches for a scroll and holds it above the floor… the bottom drops and the paper starts rolling. "How about all these debts? You even had the nerve to put some of them in Ranma's name… dishonoring him when they weren't paid back. You're lucky that I talked to some of these people… otherwise you wouldn't be alive today…"

"Do you know how long it'll take me to pay all of this back?"

"I don't care." Nodoka shakes her head. "It's your duty to take responsibility for your actions… that's why you're working two jobs effective tomorrow. I'm not going to stay with a lazy, good for nothing husband…"

"You wouldn't leave me… would you?"

Nodoka gives him a withering stare… causing Genma to know her answer in a heartbeat.

After a brief pause, Nodoka continues her "discussion" with her husband.

"You've lied… cheated… tarnished the honor of Ranma and yourself… and interfered in the lives of many others. I don't know how you got lead down this path… but I'm going to make sure that Ranma doesn't go the same way. He has a chance to form a meaningful relationship with that young lady, Akane… who fought so hard for him. I will not allow you or your friend Soun to mess up their relationship…"

"But you're forgetting how talented of a martial artist Ranma's become…" Genma says, trying to change the subject.

"He is talented… but I wonder… is that because of what you taught him… or is that in spite of it? There's more to martial arts then the techniques… how can he take over a school if he doesn't know how? And then there's the matter of ALL of these fiancées… Genma…"

"Isn't a martial artists life is fraught with peril? Ranma and I had to make certain… sacrifices to be made in order to keep training…"

"Don't tell me about sacrifices… I had to give up my husband and son… and this is what I get in return? Ranma's having a very hard time dealing with Akane… I've had to really help him out… how can my son be manly and know how to properly treat a woman with a father like you… one who hasn't shown him how to treat a woman…"

"I'm sure he'll be fine…"

"Genma… I talked to Akane as well… if he did know how to treat a woman, he would've treated her differently. You're directly response for another one of his fiancées… Ukyo. That poor girl has had a horrible life ever since you stepped into it…"

"But she is a martial artist and has turned out for the better…" Is all Genma can come with for a response to his wife.

"Better? Damn it, she was forced to abandon being a girl... living a life that was a lie… and seeking vengeance instead of living. She spent 10 years in training just to get back at Ranma… when she should've been training to get back at you. If you had been a man like you claim to be and kept your word… Ukyo would've never been a problem or gotten between Ranma and Akane. However, since you failed to act like a man and keep your wits… I have no choice but to do this…"

Genma moves back in fear as Nodoka's hand moves towards her sword… on its way to some nearby legal papers.

"Umm… what are those for? Those aren't divorce papers…" Genma gulps.

"They could be… if you don't get your act together. I've had these made up a few days ago… all that's needed is a signature from us. We're going to take care of Ukyo… it's the least we can do to make up for her… misguided life." Nodoka stares at her husband. "You will get your act together so you can at least TRY to be a father."

Genma's head sinks low on his chest. "Yes, No-chan…"

"Since it's too late to do it tonight, I'll take these papers over first thing in the morning…" Nodoka signs the papers and passes them over to Genma, who also does the same thing.

Genma yawns aloud.

"Oh no, we're not done yet… so you'd better stay awake. We have several other topics to cover… this "neko-ken" technique, selling your own son for food, these other fiancées, Ranma's curse… the list goes on and on… we may be up for a while, DEAR…" Nodoka says that last part while staring at Genma… who suddenly becomes quite awake.

"You… promised me a family… more children…" Nodoka tries to hold back tears. "You've really messed up the one that we have now… how can I expect you to uphold your word? This is your last chance Genma, to make good on your promises… to uphold your honor… to make amends for the lives you've hurt... and replace the things you've stole. I can't live with a man who isn't responsible for his actions… if you fail, then all the Saotome debts will be put in YOUR name, especially those in Ranma's name… and I will take my son and put both of us on MY family's registry. Do I make myself clear?"

Genma is silent for a moment and then looks up at his wife. "Yes, dear…"

"Good. Now let's talk some more… we have a lot to discuss…"

Much later that evening, after several hours of "discussion" with his wife, Genma makes a few phones calls. 'Soun's right… I'm sure that special suit we've heard about may help… I'll get right on it after work tomorrow…'

To be continued in Chapter 9: A different point of view

Look for another chapter soon… and also be on the lookout for a reposting of my NGE story, in narrative style, starting from chapter 1. I'll be back on soon… watch for it! Please Read and Review!


	9. Chapter 9: A different point of view

Chapter 9: A different point of view

Thanks to Danny171984 for the preread on this chapter. Also, in case you, the reader, didn't know, Tiffany Grant celebrated her birthday a few days ago. Happy Birthday Tiffany!

This is my longest Ranma chapter so far… and arguably my longest chapter period for any of my stories… 31 pages…

The next day Ranma gets up early and does some practice exercises near the crack of dawn. His mind is still full of new thoughts and feelings about what happened last night. 'She liked it… when I called her sexy… and she looks really good in that lingerie…'

After finishing his morning kata, Ranma decides to head into the house and wake up Akane… 'She woke me up yesterday… but I'm not gonna yell at her to wake her up…'

Ranma heads into the house tiptoes his way upstairs. The door to Akane's room quietly opens and he peers inside. 'She's still sleeping… but it's still early…'

After deliberating about it for a moment, Ranma decides to enter her room. He looks down the hallway in both directions before heading inside and closing the door. 'I hope she doesn't get mad that I'm in her room…' Ranma thinks as he moves closer to the sleeping Akane.

"Mmm… Ranma…" Akane mumbles in her sleep, causing the martial artist to blush.

'She must be thinkin' about me… I wonder…' Ranma carefully sits down on her bed and looks at his sleeping fiancée. 'Akane… you look so happy… I don't think I've ever seen yah like this before… I guess everything's working out okay with us so far…'

He stares at the sleeping Akane for the next few minutes, thinking about all of the things that they've gone through since he came to Japan. Ranma's thoughts are interrupted by Akane's talking in her sleep…

"Ranma… touch me…"

With eyes as big as saucers, Ranma focuses on the young woman next to him. 'What kinda thoughts is she thinkin' about me? She used to call me a pervert… it sounds like she's thinkin' about those kinda things now… still…'

After gulping Ranma decides to satisfy some of his curiosity by gently caressing her hair…

"Lower, Ranma, lower…"

Eyebrows go up as the shock of what was just said hits Ranma. "What!" He looks at Akane's face in shock… and finds her tongue sticking out at him.

"Gotcha!" Akane says after retracting her tongue. "Honestly, Ranma… did you think I was having some kinda perverted dream about you…"

"Well, umm, yeah…"

"I heard you come into my room… and I decided to have some fun…" Akane says with a giggle.

"Well, I umm… I was gonna wake you up…" Ranma crosses his arms across his chest. "And I wasn't gonna yell at you… like you did to me yesterday…"

Akane sighs. "Ranma… I'm sorry. Old habits die hard, you know…"

"I guess…"

"Well, since you're here… I have something to ask you, Ranma…"

Ranma's interest is peaked by that statement. "Sure, go ahead…"

"Did you want… to go out again tonight? I liked our last date and I want to spend some more time with you."

Ranma nods his head. "Sure… I had this feeling that something good was gonna happen today when I woke up."

Akane smiles. "I'm glad you like my idea." She sits up on the bed and yawns.

"Ranma, I'm going to get ready for school… but before you go…" Akane extends her arms out. "How about a morning hug?"

Ranma blushes. "Anything for my tomboy…"

After taking a deep breath, Ranma moves closer to Akane and allows her arms to wrap around him. He closes his eyes and slowly puts his arms around her, making the embrace a very close and intimate one.

"Starting early, huh?" An all too familiar voice chimes a moment later. "Better not do too much… we have school you know…"

Akane's eyes narrow. "What do you want, sis?"

"Oh, nothing… I heard some noise in here and decided to see what it was- that's all…" Nabiki says back in return.

"Well, I'm fine… so can you leave us alone please?"

"Sure… you two lovebirds play nice now, okay?" Nabiki says with a wink as she leaves the room. 'Another date, huh? Hmm… could be profitable… I need another source of income. Kuno doesn't seem to be interested in the pictures of Ranma and Akane… he seems different lately ever since Sasuke's been weaning him off of that medicine…'

Akane and Ranma continue to silently hold each other, both wondering if they'd ever get any real privacy. 'Not in this house…' Is the common conclusion both come up with in their minds.

"Akane…" Ranma says as he feels her hold around him tighten. Her chest is now pressing against him, causing his face to turn red…

The youngest Tendo feels him tremble a little but says nothing for several long seconds. "Ranma… I'm sorry… I'm just making sure that this is real and not a dream. I know I've said that a lot lately…"

"It's okay… all of the stuff that happened lately… it could've felt like a dream or somethin'… but you did it Akane… you made it… and I'm glad yah won…"

"Thank you Ranma…"

The two continue to silently hold each other until the call for breakfast is heard. The two slowly release each other and head downstairs for breakfast.

"We've been waiting for you two…" Soun says, motioning at the teens as they enter the dining room. "Nabiki says that Ranma's been making quite a few visits to Akane's room… is that right, Ranma?"

Ranma sits down at the table and then replies. "Well, umm… maybe a few…"

"Daddy… we're not doing anything… I don't know why Nabiki's even bringing it up for…" Akane says quickly, trying to head off any wrong ideas before they start. She sits down and begins to eat her breakfast.

"I'm just worried, that's all. I know you two are finally on good terms and working at the relationship…"

"Yeah, we are… Ranma and I are taking our time…" Akane says as she looks up. "Let us figure this out for ourselves…"

Soun nods his head and decides that Akane is right and says nothing else about it. Kasumi smiles inwardly, glad that her father is not trying to force his ideas on the "new" couple. Nabiki finishes eating and is the first the leave the house… she is followed soon after by Akane and Ranma…

A little while later, at school, Akane and Ranma enter the room and sit down. Both of them look up at the clock and realize that it's nearly time to start class… and the teacher's nowhere in sight.

"Hey Sayori… where's the teacher?" Akane asks her friend.

"No idea…"

"Akane… Ukyo's not here, either…" Ranma says after looking around the room. "I hope nothin' happened to her…"

Several minutes pass by before the teacher walks in… Ukyo is right behind him.

"I apologize for being late… but I had to take care of some paper work for this young lady…"

Several students start whispering to each other, wondering if Ukyo got into some kind of trouble… the teacher starts writing something on the board…

"I know you already know her… but I'd like to introduce her again. This is your new classmate… Ukyo Saotome…"

Ukyo bows and then introduces herself. "I'm Ukyo Saotome… sorry about this…"

The class erupts in conversations as they contemplate what was just said. Akane and Ranma hear various questions being asked within earshot.

"She's a Saotome now?"

"I wonder… did she marry Ranma behind Akane's back?"

"Didn't she lose the fight? Why is she still going after him?"

"Way to go Ranma! You're getting two girls!"

A loud clang is heard as Ukyo's battle spatula hits one of the boys, knocking him to the ground… with her eyebrow twitching just a little bit.

Ranma nervously looks over at Akane. "Akane… what do yah think is going on?"

"I don't know…" Is about all Akane can say in return.

The teacher sits down and takes a rest for a moment… rubbing his forehead and wishing he had an aspirin right now or better yet, a sedative. He knows that it would be futile to try and quiet the class down right away. Ukyo clears her throat and addresses the class.

"I know this is sudden… but Ranma's mother and father just adopted me…"

She waits a moment to allow this to sink in before continuing. "I'm now part of the Saotome clan… and Ranma is my BROTHER…"

Various students exclaim aloud: "Your brother? Awww man…"

"Yes" Ukyo says with a strained smile. "Ran-chan is my brother…"

Akane looks over at Ranma and notices that he's frozen like a statue from shock. She motions Ukyo over to her desk… the other students begin talking amongst themselves as Akane asks Ukyo a question. "You're his sister… that means…"

"I'll be your sister in-law soon…" Ukyo says with a smile. "I mean… whenever you two decide to get hitched, that is…" A wink follows that comment, causing Akane to blush.

"Well… you certainly introduced yourself like a Saotome… Ranma said that the first time I saw him… he was in girl form…" Akane nudges Ranma. "Right, Ranma? You said the same exact words…"

Ranma, still in shock, just nods his head. Ukyo nods her head.

"I was told to say that- pops said it'd be the best thing to say…"

"Figures pops would say that…" Ranma says with a smirk, snapping out of his imitation of a statue. 'She's calling him pops… just like me… I'll bet the old man is gonna have a fit when he hears this…'

"Well…" Akane extends out a hand. "Welcome to the family… though you picked quite a unique one to join…"

Ukyo shakes Akane's hand. "So did you… but mom offered to adopt me… she said to make a decision after the fight… and I did. I really don't have a family… and since I didn't win Ranma and have no dowry… what would there be for me back home? I'd rather be here… with my new brother and future sister in-law…" Ukyo says that last part while nudging Akane with her elbow.

Akane blushes as a result of that last statement. The teacher stands up and calls the class to order. The conversations come to end and class begins… though most of the students aren't really paying that much attention to what's being taught. Ukyo is quite happy about what happened today and is very alert and attentive as the class period continues.

Ranma thinks about what happened just a little while ago. 'Mom… she really helped out Ukyo… pops took her cart, so there was nothin' for her go back to after she lost to Akane. I did tell her that I thought of her as a sister… and now she is… I swear there's never a dull moment here in Nerima…'

During lunch time, news spreads around the school about the adoption… Nabiki's eating lunch at her seat when Kuno walks up to her.

"What's going on, Kuno-baby?"

"Saotome has a new sister it seems…"

"What're you talking about?"

"Apparently Ukyo was adopted into the Saotome clan this morning… so there are now two Saotome's here at Furinkan…"

"I… don't believe it…" Nabiki says, shocked at the news. She sighs aloud. "It must be Auntie Nodoka's work…"

"I am not aware of the details… tis all I have heard thus far…" Nabiki is silent and Kuno wonders aloud if she's all right.

"Oh, yeah, I'm okay… it's just so… so sudden, that's all." She remembers a question that she was going to ask Kuno and looks at him. "Are you still taking that medicine?"

Kuno shakes his head. "Sasuke has been keeping it away from me… and I feel like a new person this morning… did I have a different persona before?"

That comment brings a wry smile to Nabiki's face. "Kuno-baby… you really don't remember?"

"Regretfully not." Kuno says with an over exaggerated sigh.

"I'll have to fill you in… and don't get offended by what I say…"

Kuno looks at her curiously and asks: "Why would I be offended by what you have to say?"

Nabiki nods her head and begins elaborating on the "old" Kuno. After she finishes, he's shocked to say the least…

"I did such things?"

"Yes, you did…" She says flatly while looking at him, waiting for him to challenge her words.

His shoulders soften and his head dips slightly as he accepts what she just said. Then he looks up at her resolutely. "Then I owe Akane and Ranma an apology…"

Kuno silently walks away and begins thinking about all the things that Nabiki just mentioned to him. 'I interfered in Akane's life… challenged her each morning…'

Memories of some of these times begin to surface… he promptly calls Sasuke to his side.

A moment later, the ninja appears and asks for his new orders.

"Did I really act this stupid while on this medication? She has triggered these memories within me… did I really unjustly challenge Akane without asking for her permission or asking what she desired?" Tatewaki Kuno asks, hoping not to hear a yes… but expecting one nonetheless.

"Yes"

"When Ranma showed up, did I continue to interfere in her life without consulting her?" Kuno says as the questioning continues.

"Yes on all counts. Sadly, Miss Tendo is correct. You did challenge Akane without consulting her first, you did continually harass her on a daily basis…"

"So I did cause her grief… caused her pain…" Kuno says sadly. "I have a lot to think about… you are dismissed, Sasuke."

The ninja takes his leave and Kuno begins thinking about all the things that he's done. 'I am supposed to be a samurai… yet I have acted dishonorably in this matter… what have I done?'

Kuno spends the entire lunch period thinking and returns to class just before the bell rings, signaling the start of the 2nd half of the school day.

After school, Akane and Ranma head into central Nerima to get the pictures they sent in to be developed the previous day. On the way, Akane asks Ranma a few questions that are on her mind.

"Ranma… did you take any pictures of me?" Akane asks out of curiosity.

"Well, ummm… maybe a few…" Ranma stammers out as a blush creeps across his face.

"I was just wondering, that's all… I know I'm too much tomboy for you to resist, right?" Akane asks that last part while nudging Ranma.

Ranma turns his head and can see Akane staring at him intently. Their eyes meet and he begins to sweat. "Y-yeah…"

Akane smiles and begins walking a little faster towards the store. Ranma hears her humming a tune to herself as they near their destination.

'She seems really happy right now… I just hope I don't get it when she looks at those pictures…'

The pair arrive at the store a few minutes later and Akane gets the three sets of pictures and pays for them. She's surprised about how silent Ranma has been since they left school but passes that off to nervousness… especially after hearing that he took a few pictures of her. On the way back to the Tendo house, Akane cannot help but notice Ranma taking a few glances at her. 'He's nervous when he's talking to me… but he keeps looking at me…'

About twenty minutes later Ranma and Akane arrive back home and quickly head up to Akane's bedroom. Ranma closes and locks the door behind him as Akane puts the pictures down on the bed.

"Let's take a look and see what we got here…" Akane says as she opens up the first set of pictures and starts to spread them across the bed.

Ranma nervously watches as his fiancée sorts out the pictures. He waits for the next words out of her mouth, knowing that they could determine how the rest of his day goes…

"Say Ranma… you said that you took a few pictures of me, right?" Akane says as she looks over the first set of pictures. She takes a deep breath and sits down on the bed and stares at Ranma with narrow eyes.

"Damn it, almost every one of these pictures is of me! You were supposed to take pictures of my sister, not me!"

"I'm sorry… umm… I umm… couldn't help it… you looked…"

Akane's expression softens a little and she decides to find out what Ranma was thinking.

"How did I look? You must've liked how I looked if you spent almost an entire roll taking pictures of me…"

"Akane… I umm… thought you looked really… nice… and umm…" Ranma's face turns red. "Sexy…"

Akane blushes. "Oh…"

"Sorry I used up all that film like that…" Ranma says, hoping that she won't get angry.

A smiling face graces Ranma's vision as Akane makes a quick decision about his actions. "It's fine Ranma… let's see the other two sets of pictures and talk about what we're going to do…"

The other two sets of pictures are opened up and spread across another part of Akane's bed. Roll number 2 is almost all Nabiki… 'Certainly a lot of good pictures here… I didn't know that Ranma was such a good photographer… he must've been really nervous about seeing Nabiki and in clothes like this… but he still managed to take some really useful pictures.' Akane turns her attention to roll number 3 and starts moving pictures from all three sets into a small pile.

"So umm… did I take good pictures?"

"They're fine Ranma… though I'm not going to use all of these pictures of my sister. As much as I want to get back at her… some of them are just too much…"

Ranma breathes a sigh of relief. "Yeah… I don't think she'd be too happy if some of these pictures got out…"

Akane gets up and walks over to her desk drawer. Ranma watches as she takes out a white envelope and returns to sitting on her bed.

"What's the envelope for?"

"I already know who I'm gonna give these pictures to… this should work out perfectly…" Akane says as she mentally plots out her course of action. "The rest of these pictures of Nabiki and I… well… I'm gonna hold onto…"

"Good idea… but you should hide them so certain people don't get their perverted hands on them…" Ranma says, making an obvious reference to Happosai.

"Don't worry, I have a few spots that he hasn't found yet…"

Akane takes the small pile of pictures and puts them in the envelope. She then takes the remaining pictures and stacks them together.

"Ranma… you're about to see one of my hiding places… no one else knows about it…"

A nod is Ranma's response to that comment. 'She's showing me her secrets… stuff she won't show to anyone else… she's trusting me…' A smile spreads across his face and Akane wonders what he's thinking about.

Akane looks around the room out of habit before placing the pictures in a secret space underneath the floorboards of her bed. After doing that, she sits back down and the bed and sighs deeply.

"Ranma… come here…"

'Uh-oh…' Is the thought passing through Ranma's mind as he walks over and sits down on the bed next to Akane.

"I happened to notice something… almost two out of every three pictures were of me… that's a more then a few, Ranma…"

"I…" Ranma's mind goes blank… he doesn't know what to say in response to that. 'She caught me…'

"You think I should be a model or something? I must look really good if you took so many pictures of me…" Akane says as she stands up and does a few poses… which cause Ranma to picture her doing those same poses in the lingerie he saw in her yesterday. Thoughts of Akane as a lingerie model begin passing through Ranma's mind. His face turns red and a trickle of blood starts coming from his nose.

Akane clears her throat and Ranma quickly returns to reality.

"Anyways… you and I were supposed to go on a date, right? Where'd you wanna go?"

Ranma thinks about the question seriously for a moment before having his mind changed by the loud boom of thunder. He peers out the window and notices that the skies have turned pitch black. Rain soon begins to pour out of the clouds as the heavens unload their burden onto the ground below.

"There goes my idea…" Ranma says, realizing that any date outside would require him to get wet… and change forms. 'Knowing my luck, I'd have to change back a couple times during the date… there has to be somethin' else we could do…'

"Well… we could stay here…"

"What do yah mean by that?" Ranma asks, curious about any idea that would keep him dry and make the date more enjoyable for them both.

"How about we order some food and have dinner together in my room? We could talk and maybe I could show you how to dance?" Akane says, hopeful that Ranma will go along with her idea.

"Sure… that sounds good and then we don't have to go outside… who knows how long it's gonna storm anyway…"

"Glad you like my idea… now… what to order?"

Akane and Ranma discuss their upcoming date while over in another part of Nerima, Ukyo is having a discussion with Ryoga. As they talk, she notices that he's still shaking…

"Ryoga, are you okay? You're shaking like you were yesterday…" A concerned Ukyo says, worried about her patient.

"I feel better… but I still have these shakes… I still feel cold." Ryoga says, trying to dispel Ukyo's concerns.

"It could be the fever breaking… I don't know…" Ukyo touches his hand and notices that it's warm. 'Why is he feeling cold then? I guess I have no choice… I have to do what works…'

"Ryoga… lie back down and face the other way…"

Ryoga nods his head and does what she asked. After a deep sigh, Ukyo lies down next to him and pulls the blanket over them both. 'I hope this works… I don't want to have him overreact… I hope back to back keeps working…' Ryoga's shakes slow down and eventually stop as the warmth from Ukyo's body is felt.

"Umm… t-thanks… for umm… keeping me warm…" A very nervous Ryoga says, still not used to this female presence next to him. 'I'm glad I'm facing this way or she'd…'

"No problem…" Ukyo says as she blushes slightly. 'I'm doing this as a friend… but why do I have this feeling like…'

"Hopefully I'll be better soon… I'm sorry about all this…"

"Well… I guess it's okay for me to take a break from running the restaurant once in a while…"

"Yeah…"

Silence once again fills the room and Ukyo is about to fall asleep when she remembers something that she needed to ask Ryoga.

"Ryoga… what do you think of the Saotomes?"

"Those people…" Ryoga says sarcastically.

"Is there something wrong with them?" Ukyo says as she tries to restrain the anger that's building inside of her.

"Well, there's that Genma… he's a cheat and liar…"

'Well, no disputing that… but still… he better not have a problem with mom or…' Ukyo begins thinking to herself as Ryoga mumbles to himself.

"Let's no forget about his son… that Ranma…"

"What's wrong with Ran-chan?" Ukyo says, not bothering to hide the anger in her voice.

"What's wrong with him? He's a no good fighter and a coward…"

Ukyo hits Ryoga's shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain. "I hope you know who you're insulting…"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ranma's my brother… at least, as of today…"

"Huh?" The revelation stuns Ryoga. "How… when… why?"

"Since Ranma's father took my dowry… there's really nothing for me back home. My father treats my like a son and wouldn't accept me back unless I married Ranma… I have nothing back there…"

"Oh…"

"Ranma's mother talked to me before the fight… and I realized something. Ranma likes me as a friend… and now we can be even better friends… I'll have a family again…"

Ryoga says nothing and tries to grasp all that he just heard. 'She's his sister? This is gonna take some getting used to…' He feels a sharp pain as Ukyo hits him again.

"I have something else to talk to you about… you're lucky that I haven't kicked you onto the street… really… I didn't think you were like that Ryoga…"

"Oh no..." Ryoga exclaims, having some idea of what she may be referring to. "It's umm… not what you think…"

"Oh, really? I just happened to run into Nabiki… she talked to me after school and I mentioned that I was taking care of you… and then she told me everything…"

"Everything?" A gulping Ryoga says.

"Yes, everything… you really hurt Akane, you know that? You kept saying that you wanted to go out with her and yet… you used your cursed form to be in her bed… to see her changing… to…"

"But…"

"No buts! Is that how you treat someone you like? I'm this close to booting you out the door, sick or not… I'm really mad at you Ryoga… women don't like being treated like that…" Ukyo says quite angrily.

Ryoga sighs and tries to ignore Ukyo… a hit on the shoulder brings his attention back to the brunette that's right behind him.

"I'm giving you five minutes to think about what you've done and then I want an answer. Either you agree to apologize to Ranma and Akane for what you put them through or…"

"Or…?" Ryoga says with a gulp.

"Or else you're back on the street and out of my house. Five minutes, Ryoga…"

Ryoga begins contemplating the situation while Ukyo begins mentally counting down the time. He's about to give her an answer of some sort when he hears the sound of Ukyo sleeping behind him. 'I guess I get some more time to think about this… but why is she so concerned about me? Could it be that she… likes me?'

While Ryoga ponders what to do next, Ranma is sitting in his room and debating what to order for dinner. 'It's gotta be somethin' nice… I wanna have a good meal with her… hmm…'

Ranma finally figures out what he wants to order and heads downstairs. When he gets to the phone he begins to get frantic…

"Where's the phone book?"

Kasumi pokes her head out from the kitchen. "It's over on the dining room table Ranma…"

"Oh…" In the wink of an eye, Ranma is opening the phone book and flipping through it. 'This'll cost me the rest of my money… but mom did give it to me to use for this datin' stuff…'

About a minute later, Ranma finds a suitable restaurant and makes a phone call. 'Here goes nothin'…'

Upstairs, Akane is getting changed for dinner. 'I wonder why Nabiki suggested this dress? I guess it'll work… we're just staying in the room and Ranma does seem to like it a lot…'

A minute later, Akane hears a knocking on the door. "Is that you, Ranma?"

"I ordered us some dinner… it'll be here in about 30 minutes or so…" Ranma says and wonders why she's changing.

"Don't come in until the food's here..."

"What, why?"

"Let's just say it's going to be a surprise, okay?"

"Um, ok!" He says with a happy nod.

Nabiki sees Ranma heading back to his room as she walks down the hallway. 'Sounds like little sis took my suggestion… heh. Ranma's gonna be in for a nice surprise whenever she lets him in…'

The next thirty minutes seem to be the longest in Ranma's life. He tries to pass time in his room by meditating and thinking about the surprise…

"Ranma! Food's here!" Nabiki yells from downstairs.

"Be right there!"

The martial artist gets on his feet and is downstairs in a heartbeat. Nabiki watches as Ranma pulls out a few larger bills and pays for the meal. 'I wonder where he got the cash from? Ranma's normally broke…'

After getting the food, Ranma turns his attention to the task at hand. A tune fills the air as Ranma begins humming. He takes the food upstairs and knocks on the door to Akane's room.

A moment later, he hears a reply from within. "Come in, Ranma…"

The door opens and Ranma steps inside. He walks over to the desk and carefully places the food down on Akane's desk. The smell of Japanese food fills the air…

"Mmm… smells good, Ranma…" Akane says as she closes the door. Ranma slowly turns around…

"Akane…"

The rest of Ranma's words die as he gets a good look at what his fiancée is wearing. 'She's wearing that? She looks so… so… damn… it's that white dress from Toma's Island again…'

Akane watches Ranma's face turn red and his eyes widen to the size of saucers. 'Looks like Nabiki was right… Ranma loves seeing me in this dress…'

A stunned Ranma can do nothing but move his eyes and give her another look over. 'Akane… you're… beautiful… I don't know how I could've said you were uncute before…'

Akane lets him stare for a few moments before bringing him back to reality… with a kiss on the cheek.

"Come on, let's eat before the food gets cold…"

Ranma slowly nods his head and sits down on the extra chair that Akane had brought in earlier. She sits down in her chair next to him and marvels at the food in front of her. Two containers holding miso soup are in the center of the desk, along with two salads. Several sealed dishes hold various dishes such as beef teriyaki, chicken yakatori, sushi, vegetable tempura… along with some white rice.

"You really ordered a lot… wow…" A wide-eyed Akane says as she looks over the food again.

"I figured you were hungry… I know I am…" Ranma says as he rubs his stomach. The two say thanks for the food and break the chopsticks apart.

"Let's eat!" Akane says as she reaches for the container of miso soup.

The two dig in and begin eating their food, engaging in conversation as the dinner gets eaten. Ranma begins to open himself up a little more, expressing thoughts and feelings to Akane that he had previously kept inside. This impresses Akane and she does her best to answer any questions that Ranma throws her way…

"I have an idea… for something we can do together here after dinner…"

Ranma looks up at Akane and wonders what her idea is.

"What's that?"

"Dancing… I want to dance with you…"

Ranma wipes his mouth with a napkin. "You want to dance with me? I don't know anythin' about dancin'…"

"Oh, come on… it'll be fun…" Akane says with a slight pout.

"I don't do dancin'… it's not…"

"Manly?" She says, finishing off Ranma's thought. "You won't sing as a guy either…"

"Nope."

Akane backs off for a moment and tries to figure what to do. 'Doesn't he want to be romantic? This was his perfect chance… maybe if I show him how to dance he'll do it…'

Ranma looks at Akane and wonders what she's thinking.

"What if I show you how to dance?"

"Dancin's for girls…" Ranma says with a hint of defiance.

With narrow eyes, Akane reaches for her glass… which still has some water in it. "Just for girls, huh? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Before Ranma can say anything, Akane takes the glass and splashes him with the water, triggering the all too familiar transformation…

"HEY! What was that for!" A very vocal Ranma-chan says as she wipes the water off of her face.

"You said that only girls dance and sing… so now you can dance with me. I go out of my way to put on this dress and you get all macho on me…"

'She is wearing that dress for me… I guess I could…' Ranma-chan sighs. "I guess I could… learn to dance…"

Akane's mood immediately changes and she smiles. "Good. Let me turn on some music and we'll get started…"

For the next half hour, all that can be heard from Akane's room is the sound of slow dance music… and the occasional yelp of pain…

"Damn it, Akane… you're steppin' on my feet again!"

"It's not my fault… you still haven't gotten the rhythm down yet…"

"One more time… from the top…" Akane sighs aloud. "You say you're the best martial artist around… but you can't dance… that doesn't make any sense to me…"

Ranma-chan steps up to the challenge… just like Akane thought she would. "Oh yeah? I'll show yah that I can do this…"

A smirk forms on Akane's face for a moment as she resumes her dancing lesson. With renewed focus, Ranma-chan quickly picks up the dance steps and rhythms and is soon comfortable with the idea of dancing and not hurting the other person's feet…

"Well Ranma… I'd say you're ready for the final test…" Akane says with a smile. "Are you ready?"

"Of course… what's the final test?"

"It's easy… go to the bathroom and splash yourself with some hot water and then come back… I want to dance with the male Ranma…"

"Oh…"

"Go on…" Akane starts pushing Ranma-chan towards the door. "I'll be here when you come back…"

"But…"

Akane opens the door and nods at the open doorway. "Ranma… do this for me… I'm doing my best to be… romantic… just for you…"

'What do I have to lose? Mom told me to be open with her and to do stuff with her…' A nod acknowledges Akane's request and Ranma-chan walks out into the hallway and down towards the bathroom. Before she gets there, however, she's stopped by Akane's sisters…

"What happened? Did you get Akane pissed off?" Nabiki says as she makes note of the fact that Ranma is currently in girl form.

"Naw… it's nothin' like that… she was just showing me how to dance, that's all…" Ranma-chan says, trying to save face.

"How nice… looks like Akane is really doing her best to be romantic…" Kasumi says happily. "I told you, Ranma, that she's liked you for a long time… and now she gets a chance to show it without worrying about getting attacked every five seconds…"

"Well, that was going to be my second guess… my first one was that Ranma tried to touch that dress again… we all know how much he likes that dress, right sis?" Nabiki says with a grin.

"Yes…" A blushing Kasumi says a moment later.

"It's nothin' like that! I didn't touch her… never mind… I'm going to the bathroom…" Ranma-chan quickly excuses herself, leaving Nabiki and Kasumi to talk amongst themselves. Over in the bathroom, Ranma-chan runs some hot water and quickly splashes herself, triggering the transformation back…

'I don't believe that I'm gonna be doin' this… but I gotta try. She needs me… and I need her…' The martial artist takes a quick look in the mirror and straightens out his hair before leaving the bathroom. 'Here goes nothin'…'

"Go get 'em, tiger!" Nabiki says as Ranma walks by on his way back to Akane's room. He doesn't comment but sticks his tongue out at Nabiki for a moment.

"Is that anyway to treat your future sister in law?" Nabiki says with a small laugh. "You'll never be rid of me you know…"

'Damn it, she's right… aargh!' Ranma brushes off the last comment and reenters Akane's room. He quickly closes and locks the door behind him.

"Is something wrong Ranma?" A curious Akane says after observing him lock the door.

"I don't want your sister spying on us…"

"I see…" Akane flashes Ranma a smile. "You want to be with me in private…"

"Umm… yeah…" A nervous Ranma says as he walks over to Akane. "I'm umm… r-ready for the final test…"

"Ranma… you need to calm down before we start…" Akane says in a soothing voice.

"But I can't… you look so… so…"

"That's nice… but…" Akane tries to calm down but is getting frustrated more every second by his nervousness. 'I know I look nice in this… but he's all nervous and I even see a trickle of blood coming from his nose. Geez…'

Ranma's attention is focused on Akane's body and not her voice… at least until her next comment.

"If this dress is so distracting, then I'll just take it off…"

Ranma's face turns a crimson red at the mere thought of that… and Akane quickly realizes that she goofed up. She puts her hands over her mouth and blushes. 'Ooops… I didn't mean it like THAT!'

A few seconds later, Akane is surprised to hear the sound of Ranma laughing… at her.

"Now who's the pervert? You always called me one… but…"

"Damn it, Ranma, that's not what I meant… I meant that I should change clothes…" A flustered Akane says, trying to save face.

"Sure…" Ranma folds his arms across his chest. "What ever you say…" He turns his back to Akane.

A few moments later, Akane turns around and is now back to back with Ranma, her arms now crossed just like his. 'Now what do I do? He's being a jerk…'

The two silently stand back to back until Ranma decides to make the first move.

"Akane…"

"Yes?"

"I… I…" Ranma gulps. "I'm… I'm sorry…"

The expression on Akane's face softens and her attention is now focused completely on what Ranma has to say next. "I'm listening…"

"I didn't mean to call yah a pervert…" Ranma says, swallowing his pride.

"Ranma… it's okay…" Akane turns around and walks in front of Ranma. "Let's forget about this and have some fun… I don't like it when you're depressed…"

'She's right… why should I be down right now? I'm with a beautiful woman and we just had dinner together…' Is the thought running through Ranma's mind as Akane puts her arms around him.

"One more dance… please?"

Tilting his head down, Ranma looks into Akane's eyes. He can see the hopefulness in her eyes… and decides to give it a try.

Ranma's hands slowly wrap around Akane and then, much to her surprise, begin gently running down her bare back. 'What's he doing? He's rubbing my back…' A soft sigh escapes Akane's lips as his fingers continue their work. 'I guess this is better than dancing… I feel so comfortable that I'm falling asleep…'

Ranma continues rubbing Akane's back as she rests her head again his chest and falls asleep, giving him some time to think about his innermost feelings…

'This datin' thing ain't too bad… she likes everything I did for her today… and she even put on that nice dress, just for me. I don't know why pops kept saying that women were weak. I guess I know a little bit about how they feel since I've been one myself but… he didn't tell me anything about women. All he cared about was eatin', training, and joining the schools. I almost messed this up 'cause of not knowing what to do…'

Several minutes pass by before Ranma does anything else. The sheer fact of having Akane so close and her not doing anything hurtful to him is finally starting to sink in. 'There's nothing to be afraid of…' Is the thought that finally sinks into his subconscious.

Upon looking down, Ranma sees Akane's blue hair. He slowly moves his hands up and begins to gently run his hands through her hair.

'This ain't bad… her hair feels nice and soft…'

Akane feels the motions of his hands but does not stir from her unconsciousness state. Ranma finally begins to understand some of his own personal desires as this touching continues. 'Pops never told me anything about girls… anything good. She is cute… and sexy… I don't know why I called her those names before… she does look nice, especially in this dress…'

Ranma's hands move down to her shoulders and then carefully down her side… as much as Ranma wants to touch her chest… he knows that'd be too far.

"Mmm…" Akane suddenly feels a slight grab on her behind. "Ranma… what are you doing?" She says softly.

"Umm… just umm… exploring my umm… feelings for yah…" Is the response back from the now nervous martial artist.

"Oh… well… if that's the case… I'm not gonna say anything. You do like me a lot… I know you wouldn't be grabbing just anyone's butt… at least, I hope not…" Akane says that last part with a slight giggle, causing Ranma to roll his eyes.

Ranma begins blushing a moment later and is silent. 'She… liked what I was doing? I could've sworn I heard her moan a second ago…'

"Umm… yeah… you ummm… have a nice body…"

Akane looks up and smiles at Ranma. "Thank you…"

Before Ranma can respond to that, Akane plants a kiss on his lips. At first, Ranma is shocked… but soon begins responding to her kiss with one of his own. Time seems to pass by slowly as the two get lost in the moment.

Just outside Akane's room, Nabiki has her ear on the door. 'Sounds like those two are going at it… good work, sis. I knew that he couldn't resist you in that dress…'

"How are they doing in there?"

"Huh?" Nabiki says as she steps away from there and sees Nodoka Saotome standing right behind her.

"How's my son doing on his date? I know you've probably been over here listening for some time now…"

"Well, um… I guess you know me too well… but everything seems to be okay. They had dinner together and danced… and it sounds like their kissing now…"

"Good… I'm glad those two are making progress…" She bends down and slides an envelope under the door. "That should help…"

"What was that?" A curious Nabiki asks.

"Oh… just some more suggestions for those two, that's all…" Nodoka says with a smile. "I've got to go…"

"See yah later, Auntie Nodoka…" Nabiki says as Nodoka heads back downstairs. "I guess she was worried about the date… but I wonder what was in that envelope? Hmmm…."

"Nabiki! You have a phone call!" Soun yells from downstairs, knowing full well what his daughter is probably doing at the moment.

"Be right there!" Nabiki yells back. 'Damn… just when things were getting good…'

Nabiki heads downstairs and answers the phone…

Meanwhile, up in Akane's room, the two teens finally break their kiss and are staring silently at each other, their hearts racing as they realize just how much they truly are attracted to the other.

"That was… very nice…" Akane says, breaking the awkward silence. "Did you want to umm… do our homework together? We have that geography project you know…"

"I guess so… might as well get that over wit'…"

Akane smiles. "Good… but first, I'm going to change into something more comfortable…"

"Do yah want me to leave for a few minutes?"

"Well… I don't want you to get harassed by Nabiki so…" Akane gently pushes Ranma back towards her closet. "Why don't you wait for me in the closet? I promise I won't take long…"

"I umm… guess I could do that…" A nervous Ranma replies back.

"Good…" A nodding Akane says as she opens the door and gently motions towards the inside. Ranma steps back slowly and the door is soon closed in front of him.

"No peeking, okay?"

"But Akane…" Ranma says, trying to tease her and break his nervousness with a joke.

"Hey! You already saw me in lingerie and this dress… isn't that enough?" Akane snaps back.

Ranma chuckles. "Yeah, you're right. I saw all that and I didn't even get hit or anything… I think I'm pretty lucky…"

"Yeah… you are… if that was the old me, you'd have been malleted halfway across Japan by now…" Is the response from Akane as she begins to undress.

Despite his comment, Ranma represses the urge to even move the door a little. 'I don't wanna tease her too much here… I did get to see a lot today already…' He closes his eyes and meditates, clearing his mind and allowing time to pass while Akane finishes changing.

"I'm done, Ranma…"

Akane waits a few seconds and calls out again. "Hey Ranma!"

Walking over to her closet, Akane opens the door and finds Ranma standing there, his mind focused in deep meditation. She gently caresses his cheek…

"Wake up…"

Ranma's eyes flutter open and he finds Akane standing right in front of him, her facing sporting a concerned expression.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah… I was just meditating, yah know, to pass time 'till yah finished…"

"Women don't take THAT long…" Akane says jokingly, causing Ranma to roll his eyes. "Anyways… let's get started…"

The couple leaves the closet and Ranma notices the envelope on the floor. He picks up and notices the writing on it.

"It says it's for us… probably from my mom…"

"Well, go ahead and open it up…" An anxious Akane says, wondering what's inside.

Ranma opens the envelope and pulls out a sheet of paper. He begins reading the contents aloud.

To my son and his fiancée Akane,

I'm so happy that the two of you are working on your differences and spending time together. I just stopped by to "check" on you two and I'm glad things are going good so far. A couple quick suggestions for you two. Akane, show Ranma your new martial arts skills. Ranma, help out Akane with her cooking or her swimming. If you choose swimming, there are directions below to a nearby hot spring where you two can go.

I'll stop in again later this week and check on you two again. Have fun with each other, I can't wait for grandchildren!

Nodoka Saotome

"Definitely your mom… that last line says it all…" Akane says, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, that's my mom all right…" Ranma says as he puts the paper down on Akane's desk. He begins thinking about what the note said and sits down on Akane's bed.

Akane silently sits down next to him and ponders the words that she just heard. 'She's suggesting I show Ranma those moves I learned from Happosai… it'd be kinda awkward for Ranma to be touching me like that, especially my breasts…'

A warm, red blush crosses Akane's face as she continues to think about Nodoka's suggestion. Ranma looks over and notices the blush on her face. 'I wonder why she's blushing? Wait a second… I don't believe it… I didn't even notice what she was wearing until just now… she looks nice…'

"Akane… it's been a while…"

"Huh? What're talking about?" The youngest Tendo exclaims as she turns her attention to Ranma.

"You're wearing jeans… and a T-shirt… I can barely remember the last time I saw yah in that kinda outfit…"

"Oh… yeah… well… I just wanted to feel… comfortable, that's all. Ranma… what'd you think about your moms' suggestion?"

"I think I can help yah out… which one did yah wanna work on with me first?"

"Hmm…" Akane thinks about her answer for several seconds before giving it. "Swimming… I want you to teach me how to swim. We can always work on cooking later…"

Ranma smiles. "Sounds good to me… and with it being at a hot spring, I can stay a guy and still give yah lessons…"

"Yeah… that'd be nice." A short period silence ensues before Akane speaks again. "Your mom mentioned something about teaching you those techniques that I learned from Happosai… Ranma… I feel a little awkward… showing you those moves… even if you're in girl form…"

"Hmm… the only other way is for me to ask the old man myself… and I don't want that old pervert touching me… I know I'd have ta be a girl to learn this stuff…"

"Yeah…" Akane says with a soft sigh.

"Yah know what… let's worry about that later. I wanna get this report done and over with…"

Akane smiles. "Good idea" She gets up and grabs one of her textbooks from the bookshelf and places it down on the bed. The two teens stretch out and start looking through the book.

"Ranma, why don't you pick a country for us to do a report on…"

"Well, okay… I'm glad you're here… you know I ain't no good at this school stuff…"

"It's not your fault that you didn't go to school before… your dad wanted you to work on martial arts instead of school…" Akane says as Ranma takes the book from her hands.

Ranma nods his head and then turns to the world map and starts looking around, trying to find something interesting to write on. Akane watches him out of the corner of her eye while pretending to look at the map. 'I can't believe that we're spending all this time together… and it's going great. I don't believe that I almost lost a chance to be with this handsome…'

Akane blushes as she stares at Ranma's muscular body but he's so focused on the task at hand that he fails to notice what she's doing.

"I don't believe it… wow… this has gotta be the one we do a report on!" An excited Ranma exclaims a moment later.

"What country are you talking about?" A curious Akane replies back.

Ranma chuckles. "This one…" He points at a small island nation in Equatorial Africa, just off of the west coast. "It's mine, after all…"

Akane leans in for a closer look. "Sao Tome and Principe… wow… you weren't making that up…"

"Are yah sure that you're not tryin' to marry me for my island?"

"Very funny Ranma…" Akane says crossly. "It's definitely different, though… let's go ahead and see what we can find on this country…"

Ranma watches as Akane gets up and gets an encyclopedia from her bookshelf and returns to her prior position on the bed, stretched out flat on her stomach. She starts looking for the entry on Sao Tome and Principe when she notices what Ranma's doing…

"Is there something wrong back there?"

"Oh no…" Ranma blushes. "I was just umm… noticing how nice you looked in these jeans, that's all…"

"So you like my butt?"

The answer Akane gets back is a silent nod from a now red-faced Ranma. He tries not to react in a "yes" fashion but can't stop himself… Akane knows that he's a pitiful liar. 'I can't believe he's staring at me like this… but it feels nice to be appreciated instead of called names like we used to do…'

"What about my thighs? They aren't thick, are they? I think you've made some comments about them before…" Akane says with a grin.

"Huh? I did? They umm… look fine to me…" A stuttering Ranma says as he takes another look at her waist.

"Look… I'm glad you like my behind and all… but let's get this report done…"

"Yeah… sorry about that… it's just… I never got to do this before… you'd have called me a pervert for lookin' at yah like this…" Ranma says as his face moves closer to Akane.

"That's true… and you'd been all defensive in return… and a macho jerk…" She says back as she moves her body closer to his.

"Yah know, when you're not violent and hitting people with that mallet… you can be really cute…"

Akane smiles. "And when you're not being a jerk and hard-headed… you can be quite handsome…"

The two teens move closer and are soon face to face.

"Tomboy…"

"Baka…"

Both are almost drawn into a reflex action of hitting or yelling at each other… memories of the past surface in both teens and they do their best to suppress them. There's an awkward silence as the two stare at each other, nose to nose, for a few moments before Ranma puts his hands on her shoulders.

"But you're my tomboy…"

Akane puts her hands on his shoulders.

"And you're my baka…"

The couple moves into an embrace and hold each other for a few minutes, reaffirming their feelings for each other. Ranma slowly turns his eyes back towards the encyclopedia and stretches out on the bed… Akane does the same thing a few moments later. Both teens want to be more comfortable while they do the report and in Ranma's case, it's now harder for him to have his eyes wander off of the book in front of him.

Over the course of the next half hour, the two teens find out a lot of information about their research topic and write up a draft. One point in particular catches Ranma's attention…

"So if my last name was spaced out like that… it'd mean Saint Thomas in Portuguese…"

"That's what it says…"

"Yeah… but don't we need more information about this place?"

"That's right… guess you and I will be going to the library tomorrow… good thing this isn't due until Friday…" Akane says as she stretches out. "I know you'd like to spend more time with me but… I want to have some alone time tonight…"

"It's okay… I need some time to think, too…"

Ranma nervously leans in and Akane gives him a good night kiss before he exits the room. He heads back to his room and stretches out on his futon and thinks about all that's happened tonight…

'I think I did pretty good… and I learned about Akane tonight. She has a side of her that I'm now startin' to see… and she looked great tonight… very sexy…'

Back in Akane's room, Akane is doing the same thing on her bed. In her hands are the pictures that Ranma took of her earlier in the week.

"I look… good. There's no reason why I shouldn't want to feel nice and wear stuff like this all the time… he did like my lingerie after all… I'll have to stop in and talk to that woman Naru again… she seemed nice and she was very understanding…"

In another part of Nerima, Mousse is preparing for the return of Shampoo and Cologne by cleaning up the restaurant and thinking about a strategy for beating the young woman…

Over in Ukyo's bedroom, the brunette begins to wake up and her eyes immediately focus on a nearby clock.

"9 o'clock? What the hell happened?"

"Oh, you're awake…" Ryoga says with a yawn. "You fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you up… you looked tired."

Ukyo takes note of the fact that she's still next to Ryoga and he hasn't moved at all since she fell asleep… 'He didn't even leave my side… does he like me?'

"Did you decide what you're going to do?" Ukyo says, her mind and thoughts focusing on the important question that she had asked the Lost Boy earlier.

"Yes… I did…" Ryoga takes a deep breath. "I will… apologize… but there's a few conditions…"

"What conditions?" Ukyo asks skeptically.

"First… you have to come with me…"

"Believe me sugar, I'm going with to make sure… what else?"

"Give me until Saturday… I still haven't recovered fully yet… and I know she'll be angry… I want to give her some time to cool off from the last incident…"

Ukyo contemplates his words. "Hmm… I guess… but if you wait until Saturday…"

"I'd umm… like to… stay here… if that's okay…" Ryoga blushes. "I'd be more than happy to help out with your restaurant as a way of repayment…"

"You did impact my business… so I guess that's fair…" Ukyo says, thinking about the words just presented to her. "It's a deal…"

"Good…" Ryoga yawns. "I'm going to bed…"

"Weren't you just sleeping?" A confused Ukyo asks a moment later.

"I was up thinking… and I was umm… watching you… you seemed tired and restless…"

"I was?" The chef sighs aloud and then remembers how early she had to get up this morning to take care of the adoption matter. "I guess I was tired… I got up pretty early this morning…"

"I thought I heard you get up… it wasn't as warm after you left…"

This brings a blush to Ukyo's face. "Umm… yeah…"

After some stretching, Ryoga yawns. "I'll talk to you in the morning… if you have some time before school…"

"Sure…"

With that, Ryoga quickly falls asleep after knowing for sure that Ukyo is okay. She looks down at the young man sleeping next to her and wonders…

'What's wrong with me? He's been a jerk in the past to people, especially Ranma and Akane but he's had his good moments… especially when he was helping me out. I wanted to kick him out… but part of me was hoping he'd say yes and apologize. I wonder how he feels about me?'

That last question is on Ukyo's mind as she crawls back under the blanket and reaches for a nearby alarm clock. "At least I'll be well rested for tomorrow… I have to start working on that geography project and open the restaurant after school…"

After setting the alarm, Ukyo goes to sleep. The next several days will bring many unique events to Nerima and people living therein…

To be continued in Chapter 10: Ready... 1... 2... FIGHT!

My next project is to work on the next NGE chapter and another redone simultaneously. I will try and get those both up before I go on my next school break on November 8th. Keep an eye on my profile for updates- they will be posted there.


	10. Chapter 10: Ready 1 2 FIGHT!

Chapter 10: Ready... 1... 2... FIGHT!

For those reading this story and the NGE one, there have been 2 new chapters (Chapter 37 and 38) added on the fanficsrus and mediaminer websites since I last updated this story, be sure and check my profile for links to those. Also on a personal note, I got a job with Piedmont Airlines and I will be moving out east to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area from Chicago in one week… I'm looking forward to the start of my career as an avionics technician. Thanks also goes out to datexn for his help, especially with the latter half of this chapter. Now, onto the story!

Thursday morning

The week moves on and the students in Ranma's class work on their class projects… which are due on Friday. Ukyo takes sometime at home and at the library to finish up her project while elsewhere in Nerima, Mousse is preparing for the inevitable conflict with Shampoo.

'How can I beat her when she's being trained by the old ghoul? I need something really radical and unexpected to win…'

To aid his thinking, Mousse makes himself a snack and sits down at a nearby table. He contemplates what to do while he eats…

'If I went to someone else for training… or came up with something on my own, that could help me win. Maybe I should go on some kind of training trip… those seemed to work for Ranma…'

His deadline for the fight ever approaching, the bespectacled Amazon mentally prepares a training program and gets right to work.

The next day is the dreaded Friday, at least for the students at Furinkan High School in Ranma and Akane's class. After taking morning roll, the teacher wastes no time and begins to call out students to present their Geography projects. Ukyo nervously awaits her turn…

'Just keep calm… maybe I should pretend like I'm giving a presentation on cooking… yeah… pretend like I'm talking about my favorite subject…'

Nearby, Akane and Ranma look over their notes while the other students talk. Akane is very confident about the grade that she'll get- with all of the time that she and Ranma put into this school project, there's no way she'll get anything less then an 'A' grade.

Ranma takes a few deep breaths and thinks about the task ahead. 'Akane took all of that time to teach me how ta give a presentation… I'm gonna be taking the lead here so it's gotta be good… I don't wanna drag her grades down and I… I wanna do good…'

For one of the first times in his life, Ranma realizes something. 'I actually wanna do good in this school thing… maybe it's for Akane… or maybe it's more. She'll actually helping me out and not yelling at me and calling me stupid when it comes to this stuff…'

"Now it's time for Ranma and Akane's presentation, so would you two please come up to the front of the class…"

The moment had arrived. Taking a quick glance at Akane, Ranma nods his head and prepares for the challenge ahead. 'Here goes nothin'…"

Akane stands up and walks to the front center of the room carrying the notes for their project. A somewhat nervous Ranma gets up and is soon standing next to her.

"Our project is about the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe…"

The class starts mumbling to themselves. "There ain't a country with that name, come on, Ranma- be serious…"

Akane steps forward one step and looks at the class. "It's a real place…" She opens up her book to the "Africa" section and points at the west coast, near the equator. "See for yourself…"

Not being sure herself, a curious Hinako takes a closer look at the page and announces. "Yes, it's real… so let them do their presentation…"

In her seat, Ukyo breathes a sigh of relief. 'I'm glad they weren't kidding around… this is for a major grade…'

"So, like I was saying… our project is about Sao Tome and Principe, which is an island country in Africa…"

Ranma and Akane give their presentation and much to their surprise, receive a round of applause after the whole presentation is done. Even the teacher is impressed- 'That's not what I was expecting from Ranma… Akane, yes… but it seems like he's turned around a little bit with his attitude towards school…'

"Good job… now who wants to go next?"

Ukyo raise her hand after Ms. Hinako's statement. "I'll go…"

"Good. Next up will be Ukyo Saotome…"

The presentation that Ukyo gives goes very smoothly and the added touches about local cuisine only help to bring out her report about China…

Finishing off her report, she begins to state- "I know it's not as exotic as the last report, but…"

Commending the hard work that she just witnessed, the "No, you did a great job… I like the culinary touches… I was hoping that you'd work that in somehow, since you are a cook…"

"That's true…" Ukyo says happily. "Thank you for your attention…"

Taking a slight bow, Ukyo gathers her papers and heads back to her seat. Ranma looks over his shoulder and gives her a nod of approval.

'Ranma… thank you…'

While the class continues to make their presentations, over in Nabiki's class, a proposal is being discussed…

"Since you're the senior class, the school wants some kind of fundraiser… so I was thinking that we could do a play…"

Several "sure" or "sounds good" responses are heard by the class. One hand goes up and asks a very important question.

"Which play?"

Scratching his head, the teacher thinks about it for a moment and then decides to leave it up to the class. 'It'll make it more enjoyable for them if they pick out something they like…'

"I'm open to ideas… but how about something classic? We've had a lot of Japanese plays at the school recently, so how about something European?"

Small groups of discussion break out as the students scour their minds for a good idea…

"Merchant of Venice, tis a good play…" Is the suggestion from Kuno a few minutes later.

Liking that thought, a smile forms on the teachers face. "That sounds good… I don't know if that's ever been shown here before… I'm not that familiar with it, though… could you describe the plot for us?"

"I would be most happy to…"

As Kuno talks about the play, Nabiki writes down a few notes and ideas about new business ventures… but suddenly her attention is drawn to what he's saying…

"Tis about love and betrayal… and money plays a large role in the plot of the story…"

Diverting her attention a little, Nabiki listens in more closely as Kuno continues talking about the play. 'Money, huh? That sounds interesting…'

After finishing a brief synopsis of the play, the teacher takes a vote… and it's a majority "yes" for the play… and Kuno for the lead.

"I will need a female for a lead role as well…"

Nabiki is shocked to see several hands go up and the word "Pick me" is heard several times. 'Maybe… maybe this new Kuno isn't so bad… the girls never wanted to work with him before… I guess I'm not the only one to notice a difference…'

Shrugging his shoulders, Kuno sighs. "Alas, I am overwhelmed here… 't would not be fair for me to pick…"

"Maybe a contest…" A female student yells out. "To see who gets the lead role..."

Picking up on that suggestion, the teacher agrees. "That sounds good… we'll have a contest, to make it more fair…"

Kuno considers the idea and agrees with it. "That sounds amicable… but what kind of contest?"

It's a male student that speaks up next. "Wet T-shirt contest!"

"PERVERT!" Is heard by the enraged females, who turn and give a death stare to the perpetrator.

"Let's be serious here… no wet T-shirt contests…" Is the response back from the teacher, trying to bring some order back to the class.

"Swimsuit competition!"

"Serious ideas, please…" The teacher warns sternly, not wanting a fight in the classroom.

Several ideas are yelled out, but one breaks through the fog. "A photo contest… Kuno has to decide, of course, which one is the best…"

Seeing the sense in the idea, Tatewaki agrees but adds a few thoughts of his own. "A few words or two as well, explaining why the fair maiden would like the role…"

"You heard him… we'll run submissions until next Wednesday and then he'll pick the winner in class…"

Taking a slight bow, Kuno signals that he agrees. 'Tis will be the fairest way… I had no idea that so many females were interested in acting with me…'

"Now that that's settled, let's get back to our work for the day. Turn to page…"

The school day continues and soon runs its course. Akane and Ranma gather their things and get ready to leave when Ranma's pulled aside by Ms. Hinako…

"I need to talk with you for a few minutes, Mr. Saotome…"

Protesting, Ranma replies back- "But what for? I did that report… and I think I did a good job…"

"You did… but… there's something else I have to talk with you about…"

"Oh…"

Taking a look at Akane and Ukyo, who are waiting for the conversation to end, a sighing teacher addresses the pair.

"I'll need to talk privately with Ranma here for a few minutes… could you meet him outside please?"

Silently, the two women follow the orders given and head outside to the school gate and patiently wait for Ranma.

"What do you think happened, Akane?"

"No idea, Ukyo. It wasn't the report… so I wonder what it could be?"

"I hope Ran-chan didn't get into any trouble…" Ukyo says with a long sigh.

"That can't be…"

"Why's that?"

"Because he's been working with me the last few days on that report… we worked on it at the library, in my room…"

A grin forms on Ukyo's face after hearing that. "Your room, huh? Sounds rather… intimate…"

Blushing, Akane stammers back a reply. "It's not like that!"

Nudging her friend, Ukyo continues her friendly teasing. "Oh come on, Akane… I'm just kidding…"

"You've got a funny way of showing it…"

"Well, things are different now… I actually feel better about myself after that fight… more responsible."

Akane nods her head in agreement. "Still, you have to cut back on the jokes… you're getting to be like my sister…"

"Did someone call me?" A voice calls from the distance.

Two words pass through Akane's mind- 'Oh no…'

"It's nice to see you two talking without mortal combat…"

"Hmmph… that was the past." Akane says while folding her arms in front of her chest. "I'm doing my best to be nice to Ukyo… so don't start anything…"

"Calm down little sis… it was just a joke. Where's your other half?"

"Ms. Hinako is talking to him about something… I have a bad feeling…" Akane says with some trepidation.

"Well, he's been with you all this week, so I don't see how he could've gotten in trouble…" Nabiki says with a wink.

Akane starts blushing again and Ukyo says simply- "I was thinking the same thing…"

"I see… maybe we should talk further. Anyways, I have to be going. I need to look for some nice pictures of me…"

Hearing that unusual line from Nabiki gets Akane curious immediately. "What for?"

"Oh, we're putting on some play and it has to deal with love, money, and betrayal… it's my kind of play… and believe it or not, Kuno is playing the lead… and several girls wanted the lead female role…"

"Okay… but I still don't get what the pictures are for…"

"Well… since so many girls wanted the role, there's a contest to see who gets it…"

"That makes sense…" Her mind churning with thought, Akane goes silent. 'This is a perfect chance… to use those pictures… I'll have to set this up just right. You'll get the lead role… I don't think any sane male could resist some of those pictures…'

"See you two later…" Nabiki takes her leave and heads back home, all the while thinking about what kind of pictures to use… blissfully unaware that she has "help" coming from her younger sister. Ukyo and Akane continue to talk amongst themselves while back in the school, Ranma is still talking with Ms. Hinako.

"Look, I ain't being a delinquent anymore, okay?"

"That has nothing to do with this…" Is the quick reply back. "I'm well aware of your behavior, especially since you and Akane have been together after that fight. I think she's being a good influence on you… and vice versa…"

'Even the teachers are noticing that Akane has kinda mellowed out a bit…' Is the thought in Ranma's mind before hearing more from his teacher.

"You did good on that project today… I'm giving you both an 'A' grade on it. Excellent work… but your grades overall are still not the best…"

Having an idea where this topic is going, Ranma words his next words carefully. "I know… but I'm workin' on it… Akane's been helpin' me out…"

"I see… but there's several issues that I've been made aware of. For one, your reading level is far below the average for this grade level… it's more on a middle school level… same thing goes for some of the other subjects as well…"

"Now just hold on a second here…" Ranma protests. "It ain't my fault that my idiot father didn't let me stay in school like a 'normal' kid. I'm doing the best I can…"

Taking a moment to figure out what to say next, Ms. Hinako thinks about the situation. 'I can see that it's not his fault… and he is trying to improve… but there's still one thing that he has to do, regardless…'

"There's something I need from you, no matter what the case is. Normally students have to take an entrance exam to get into this school… but it seems like there's no exam on file for you…"

Not remembering ever having taken an exam like that, Ranma has to agree. "Yeah, I don't think I took one of those…"

"The school is requiring that you take it by the end of next week. You have to pass to stay in your current grade level or you'll be sent back…"

"Damn… well I guess I got no choice… I'll take the test next Friday then, after class…"

For the first time in the conversation, Ms. Hinako drops the serious tone. "All right… Friday it is. You're dismissed…"

Feeling a little down, Ranma leaves the room. As he walks out to the entrance of the school, he begins thinking about what just happened. 'It ain't my fault this stupid school didn't do this test… and saying I'm not where I should be wit' the reading and stuff… this school stuff is important and pops said it wasn't… damn him…'

"We've been waiting for you…" A worried Ukyo says while looking at her watch. "I've got to head back and open up for dinner… I just wanted to say 'thanks' for the nod earlier. I'm glad you liked my presentation…"

That changes Ranma's mood a bit. "It was no problem… I liked it…"

"So do I…" Akane volunteers. "We've had some experience with China… especially Ranma here…"

"Too much 'experience' if you ask me…" Is the sarcastic reply by Ranma.

"Well, I have to be going… I'll see you two later…"

Ranma and Akane watch Ukyo rush off to her restaurant… she's soon out of sight. Akane quietly asks what's going on…

"Let's start walkin' home… I'll tell yah on the way…"

"Okay…"

The pair head home on the familiar streets but don't get far before a certain alleyway comes into view…

'He hasn't said anything about what happened yet… and I wanted to congratulate him for doing a good job… time to get some answers…' The alley in sight, Akane grabs Ranma's hand and pulls him into the shadows.

"Akane, what are you…"

His question is answered a moment later by a deep and passionate kiss… and then another. Ranma's arms wrap around Akane and hold her body close to his… expressing his feelings about Akane is getting easier everyday…

"That was nice…" A blushing Ranma says after Akane ends the kiss.

A light red blush forms on Akane's face. "I just wanted to say 'good job'. I just know we got an 'A' on that project this morning…"

"We did… but that wasn't what she talked to me about…"

"What was it then?" Akane asks, really wanting to know.

Feeling a little embarrassed about admitting what was said to him earlier, Ranma pulls Akane into an intimate embrace.

"She said I was stupid… that I had the skills of a middle school student… and that I gotta take some test that I didn't take when I started school here…"

"Ranma… I don't know about the test thing but… I know, you're not stupid…" Akane says, giving Ranma a vote of confidence.

"The school thing ain't my best area…"

"Ranma, it's not your fault." Akane rests her head against his chest. "You're trying… that's all that matters to me. I'll help you as much as I can…"

"Thanks, but I still feel kinda… yah know, dumb… I know that I haven't had much schooling… just martial arts training…"

"That's important… but you have to have balance… I think your father forgot about that along the way…" Akane says while mentally cursing Genma's parenting ability.

"Akane… thanks…"

Not wanting to leave this position, Akane asks for more time. "Let's enjoy this for a few more minutes before head back… when do you have to take that test?"

"Next Friday… and if I don't pass, I get sent back…"

"During the week, we'll study together. I think this weekend we need to relax and spend some time together… we're still going to those hot springs, right?" Is the hopeful question from the youngest Tendo daughter.

"Yeah… of course… I almost forgot about that…"

Teasing Ranma slightly, Akane brings up something that she was going to keep secret until later. "Good… I have a purple bikini that I haven't had a chance to wear yet…"

"Hmm… I can't wait…" A grinning Ranma says while looking down at the young woman in his arms. "I can't wait for tonight then…"

"Neither can I…"

Ranma slowly releases Akane and then after a brief kiss, they continue on their way home. She brings up the topic of the pictures to her companion… who agrees 100 with the idea.

"I think it's time we put those pictures to work… and maybe we can get her mind onto somethin' else… or someone else…"

Nabiki, having arrived home first, informs the household about Ranma's possible "trouble" before heading to her room to look for a picture of herself for this contest.

'I think finding the picture is the hardest part… I know why I should be in the lead… it's perfect for me. Money matters are my forte…'

When the young couple walks into the house about twenty minutes later, Genma and Nodoka are waiting in the front room for them.

"What's this, boy… we just heard you got into some kind of trouble in school today…"

"Gee thanks Nabiki…" Ranma mutters under his breath.

"It ain't my fault… the stupid school was supposed to test me when I started and they didn't… so now I have to take some dumb test or go back in grade level…"

"There's something else… I can feel it…" Nodoka says while looking at her son. "What's bothering you?"

Akane is about to say something to help Ranma's case when he lets loose.

"I'm doing good in school now and it don't matter… the only reason why I'm doing decent in school is 'cause Akane's helping me catch up on what I missed…" Shooting a glare at Genma, an enraged Ranma continues. "You told me school wasn't that important… and I think that's wrong…"

Nodoka looks at her husband and begins get angry. "Is this true?"

Genma slowly backs away and defensively waves his hands. "Now, now, dear… I still sent him to school…"

"It wasn't all the time… you put the art way ahead of schooling…"

"That's not what I wanted… I wanted a balanced education for my son." Nodoka grabs Genma by the ear and drags him out of the room.

"I knew that was going to happen…" Akane says in a whisper to Ranma, who nods his head in agreement.

Soun, who had been listening in from the other room, walks into the main room and addresses his daughter and Ranma. "I don't think those two will be back for a while…"

"No, they won't…" Ranma says, knowing full well what was happening to his father.

"Father, Ranma's trying to do good in school and I'd hate to see him be forced back… so I've agreed to help him study for his test."

Beaming with pride at her idea and knowing that the more time the two spend together, the better it'll be for their relationship, Soun simply says- "Good idea… you've always been a good student and I'm sure Ranma will do just fine…"

"I think so too… I like studyin' with Akane…"

"Weren't you two supposed to go somewhere today? I remember Nodoka mentioned something about a trip…"

"Yeah, we're supposed to go to some hot spring… my mom picked up some tickets…" Ranma says, remembering more of the detail about the plan.

"Let's see… I think she left them over in the kitchen. Kasumi is making a snack for you to eat on the train ride up… so you'd better get ready. I'll check and see when the train leaves…"

In another room an eavesdropper has been listening in on the conversations going on in the front room ever since Ranma and Akane got home. "Hmm… a trip to a hot spring… and those two are going alone… could be interesting…"

The pair rush upstairs and start packing their clothes. A sense of excitement is present in both teens… the chance to have some privacy and get some more quality time with each other doesn't come up very often.

Hearing a lot of activity in the room next to her, Nabiki steps out to investigate. She watches as a whistling Akane happily starts packing her backpack with clothes and other necessities.

"So you're finally going to wear the purple one? It's about time…"

Turning her head, Akane packs said bikini and stops whistling. "What do you want?"

"I heard you packing over here and I was wondering… where are you going? Are you and Ranma eloping or something?" Nabiki says with a wink, causing Akane to blush, just like Nabiki knew she would.

"Nooo… we're going to a hot spring… Ranma's giving me swimming lessons…"

"Oooh… sounds romantic. Is that what they're calling it these days? 'Swimming lessons'?"

"You're really a pervert, you know that?"

Feeling a little offended, Nabiki decides to strike back. "I'm not the one going with Ranma… ALONE… to a hot spring… to get private lessons…"

Having enough of her sisters' teasing, Akane feels her newly found restraints loosening. "Ranma's not like that! And neither am I!"

Backing off a little, Nabiki concedes the point. "Okay, okay… I believe you…"

"I'm going to get you back one day Nabiki…"

"You can try… but I'm pretty sharp."

Knowing that she has an ace up her sleeve, Akane decides not to reveal what she plans on doing next week but instead misleads her sister a little…

"One day, I'll find something and then… and then I'll be the one doing the teasing…"

Dropping the point, Nabiki makes a statement. "Maybe… but I think you've got more important things to worry about…"

"Well, yeah… there's school, and Ranma, and this whole swimming thing… I really can't swim at all…"

"You forgot something else that's important…" Nabiki says, preparing to take her leave.

"Which is?"

"You bought that bikini six months ago. Are you sure it's going to fit?"

That was the last straw for Akane. "GET OUT!"

"What? I didn't mean that in a bad way, geez. Be glad that you're finally getting some boo…"

A pillow to the face silences Nabiki. After it falls to the floor, the middle Tendo walks away, leaving a fuming Akane alone in the room. 'Damn her… but Ranma and I will get her back soon… who knows, maybe she'll take a liking to this 'new' Kuno. Something is really different about him lately. She may have a point about the suit, though… I guess I'll have to wait and see…'

Stooping down, Ranma picks up the pillow on the floor at the entrance to Akane's room. "What's this pillow doing here?"

"I threw it at Nabiki… she was over here teasing me while I was trying to pack…" Akane resumes packing the last of clothes while Ranma walks into the room. He places the pillow back down on her bed and then has a seat…

"Don't let it get to yah… we've got certain things… she'll get hers soon…" Ranma says softly, in case Nabiki was listening in from her room.

"I know…"

Putting the finishing touches on her packing, Akane zips the bag shut. "I'm done…"

"So am I… just gotta get my bag from my room…"

"I'll meet you downstairs then…"

While Akane and Ranma are heading downstairs with their backpacks, another member of the household was also packing a small bag. 'This shouldn't take too long, so I don't need much…'

Soun gives his daughter a hug. "Have a good time… and don't do anything foolish, okay?"

Akane blushes. "Father!"

"I'm sure Akane and Ranma will be acting… proper…" Kasumi says, hoping that her little sister won't rush things with Ranma.

"We'll be fine…" Ranma says, stepping up to defend both of them. "I know if pops was here he'd be sayin' somethin' different to me… and we all know what my mom would be asking me to do…"

"True…" Soun concedes. He lowers his voice to a near whisper and then says jokingly- "Get out of here while you still can…"

"Will do…" Ranma says while taking the first steps towards the front door. Akane follows right behind him.

"There they go… I hope they'll have a good time…"

"I wouldn't worry too much… they've learned how to be more civil with each other and express what they truly feel for each other. I think they need time alone to work things out…" Kasumi says back in return to her father.

"That could be… the best way… but we'll wait and see what happens in the next few weeks. There's a lot facing those two…"

Kasumi smiles. "Challenge is what they both thrive on… I think they'll do just fine."

Continuing their conversation, Kasumi and Soun fail to see a figure exit the house and head the same direction that Ranma and Akane just went.

Over at Ukyo's restaurant, U-chan's, things are quite busy. The regular customers are surprised to see a new face waiting tables in the restaurant.

'At least he can't get lost in my small restaurant… and I can focus on making the food…' Ukyo thinks while flipping some Okonomiyaki.

"Two more specials!" Ryoga calls out before returning to the main table. He grabs the plate and brings it to the far table in the back of the restaurant.

"Thank you sir…" The old man takes his plate from the Lost Boy. "You must be new here…"

"Yes… I'm helping repay a debt I owe to Ukyo…"

Handing a few bills to Ryoga, the old man says simply- "Keep the change… that should help with your debt…"

Not knowing what to say in return for this sudden act of kindness by a stranger, Ryoga can only manage a soft "Thank you".

Out of the corner of her eye, Ukyo notices Ryoga in conversation with one of her customers. 'It looks like he's really hitting it off with the customers… this was a good idea…'

"Ryoga, the specials are up!" Ukyo calls across the room.

"Be right there!" Is the reply back. Excusing himself from the conversation, Ryoga rushes over to the counter and makes a delivery to a different table. 'I don't know how she does this every night and cook at the same time…'

The dinner rush continues as the train with Akane and Ranma continues on its journey north…

"How far away is this place?" Akane asks while looking out the window at the setting sun.

"Well, let's see what the directions say… hmm…" After a quick glance at the directions, Ranma realizes something. "A couple more hours… we're going to the springs near the bridge to Hokkaido…"

"What?" Akane cannot believe what she just heard. "That's so far away!"

"Well, we're on the express trains… or it'd be a lot longer…"

"The note says that is a secluded, private area and it's great for couples… I would expect no less from somethin' mom planned out for us…"

"It is free… and it's nice to get away… so I guess I'll manage…" Akane says with a sigh. "It'll be pretty late by the time we get there…"

Opening up the brochure contained in the travel envelope, Ranma begins scanning the information on it. "According to the brochure, the hot springs are always open, even at night."

"I don't know if I'll be up for that… we'll see…" Leaning her body against Ranma, she lets out a soft yawn. "Maybe if I take a nap now we can do that…"

"Good idea… umm… a moonlight lesson… yeah…"

Feeling her eyes getting heavier, Akane manages to hear that last line before falling asleep. She softly mumbles the words- "Now that's romantic… you're learning…" before falling asleep.

After watching the sleeping Akane for several minutes, Ranma pulls a manga out of his backpack. Before opening it up, he takes another look at the front cover. 'I swear it looks like Akane… with Kasumi's height… oh well… time for volume 2 of Maison Ikkou…'

While the train continues through the night, Ukyo starts closing down the restaurant.

"Good job, Ryoga… you handled the crowds and everyone was happy…"

"T-thanks…" A slightly blushing Ryoga says back.

"I'll let you take a shower first while I lock up for the night…"

"Okay…"

Taking his leave, Ryoga can swear that he hears whistling from behind him. 'She must be happy… I guess I did good…'

About twenty minutes later, Ukyo finishes her clean up of the restaurant and locks the front door. Turning off the light, she heads upstairs and is shocked at the sight in front of her when she enters the bedroom…

'He's in my futon! Is he lost? Or did he do that on purpose?'

Unbeknownst to Ukyo, it was a combination of both. After taking a shower, Ryoga couldn't find the futon he was using… so he just went to sleep in the one already laid out.

'I swear… he didn't get lost downstairs but he got lost up here… oh well… time for a shower and then I'll deal with the problem…'

Grabbing her night robe and a change of underwear, the newest Saotome heads into the bathroom and takes a long, well deserved shower after a long days work…

'That hot water… feels good… my muscles were getting tense…'

Wiping the steam off of her mirror, Ukyo looks at her expression in it. 'It's me alright… Ukyo Saotome… it's been the better part of a week since I got my new name… but tomorrow has its own challenges. I hate to see someone get hurt, but he has to apologize for what he did- I don't feel right having him here without showing some remorse for what's he done…'

After getting dressed, Ukyo finds a restless Ryoga rolling around under the futon. 'Is he having a nightmare?'

Gently shaking the Lost Boy, the concerned young woman tries to wake him up. "Ryoga… wake up… wake up…"

"Huh? Oh, it's you…" Ryoga says while rubbing his eyes.

"You were having a nightmare, I think… I just saw you rolling around the futon."

"Maybe I was… I just don't remember."

"Anyways… you know that's my futon…"

"I'm sorry… I was looking for the other one and I couldn't find it."

"Well, I put it in the wash and now it's air drying outside…" After remembering that, Ukyo feels sorry for bringing this up. "I guess you'd have to use this one… that was my only spare…"

Nervously, Ryoga asks to stay. "Umm… I guess so. You don't mind, umm… sharing with me, do you?"

"Well… you did help me out today… and you're going to apologize tomorrow… so… I…" A blush creeps over Ukyo's face. "I guess you could… but no funny stuff…"

"Of course not…" Is the reply from the now beet-red Ryoga, who hadn't thought of doing such things with her until hearing that line.

"I'm glad we agree…" Ukyo says as crawls under the futon. Turning her back to Ryoga she attempts to get comfortable. Ryoga does the same thing and two are now back to back under the covers.

"You know… I actually like this… you're umm… quite warm…"

"T-thanks…" Is the reply back from the brunette, who tries to suppress the full blush on her face. 'Is he flirting with me… or does he mean that? I'm so confused… I guess I'm not the best when it comes to expressing my feelings on matters like this. Still… it feels good to get compliments…'

"Good night Ryoga… don't forget what you have to do tomorrow…"

"I know… good night Ukyo…"

Despite what was just said, neither one falls asleep right away… but both have to admit to themselves that it feels better then being alone…

A few hours later, a lone train pulls up into a dimly lit terminal. The conductor gets on the PA system and makes an announcement.

"End of the line… everybody off, please…"

Upon hearing that, Ranma puts the manga away and gently nudges Akane.

"Wake up… we're here…"

Rubbing her eyes, only one thought comes to mind. "All ready?"

Ranma chuckles. "You've been asleep for over two hours…"

"Oh…"

The last remaining passengers in the train make their way off and head for nearby shuttle buses. Ranma looks at the directions and then takes the lead…

"I guess everyone is going to that resort… well, all the people that are left…"

About a half dozen people get on the bus before the pair from Nerima get there. Ranma pulls out the tickets and hands them to the driver.

"You're the last ones… so we're ready to go. Have a seat wherever you like… the drive to the resort won't take long…"

Akane points to a seat in the middle of the bus and the two quickly sit down and fasten their seat belts. Soon, the bus is underway and making tracks for the resort up the winding, mountain road…

"It's so… peaceful out here. You can see the stars, too…" Akane observes while looking out of the window.

"Yeah… we can't see too many of them in our area back home…" Ranma adds.

A short while later, the bus arrives at the resort and the passengers shuffle off of the bus. Ranma takes the envelope out as the pair arrive inside the lobby.

"Reservation for Saotome…"

"Let's see… that's room number four. Here's your key… it's the last room on the right. Be sure and enjoy your stay." The bellhop hands Ranma the key and then helps the next person in line.

"Looks pretty fancy…" Akane whispers to Ranma. "Where does your mom keep coming with all of this money?"

"Hell if I know…"

Walking down the hallway, the two quickly arrive at the room. Ranma slides the door open and says "after you."

Impressed by his manners, Akane smiles. "Thank you, Ranma…"

Upon getting a good look at the room, both teens gasp in awe.

"This is pretty nice… and cozy. I have ta agree with yah… and ask that same question- where is she getting all of this money?"

Putting her backpack down next to the large futon, Akane comments on the room. "There's a privacy screen and a bathroom… so we can both change at the same time."

"So you're up for some swimming?"

"Yes…"

Ranma grins. "Good… but I just noticed somethin'… there's only one futon…"

Blushing, Akane cannot help but acknowledge that fact. "I guess there is… I think we can umm… handle it."

"As long as Nabiki don't show up or my mom…" Ranma says jokingly.

A playful elbow to the ribs is the reply from a somewhat miffed Akane. "Don't joke like that!"

"Anyways… let's get changed… and go for a moonlight swim… and just relax…"

"Good idea…"

Ranma takes off his backpack and gets out his swimming trunks. "I'll take the bathroom so you can change here… let me know when you're done…"

"Okay…"

Akane watches Ranma walk into the bathroom and close the door behind him before taking out her purple bikini. 'I hope Nabiki was kidding…' She walks behind the screen, just in case Ranma was feeling a little perverted… 'Or am I the one who's perverted, for thinking that he'd do that?'

A full-length mirror hands on the bamboo wall behind the screen, enabling Akane to quickly change and steal a few looks at herself in the mirror.

"Not bad… but Nabiki was right." A soft sigh escapes Akane's lips. "My hips are about the same… but I'm a bit bigger up top. It still fits, though…"

Clearing her throat, Akane then calls out to Ranma. "Hey, I'm finished."

The bathroom door slowly opens and Ranma looks back and forth before opening it all of the way. "Just making sure… I don't want yah to think I was peepin' or somethin'…"

Stepping out from behind the screen, a slightly nervous Akane commits herself to her fate…

"Swimming lessons here I come…"

Despite the distraction that Akane's slightly small bikini is providing, the martial artist does his best to focus on the task at hand, teaching her how to swim.

"I'll get two towels from my pack and we'll get started…"

"Umm… Ranma… where are the hot springs at?" She asks, not knowing where they're going.

"Oh, I know where ta go…" He throws her a towel, which she wraps around her body. "Follow me…"

As the pair walk from the room through the lobby to the other side of the hotel, where the hot springs are, the bellhop gives Ranma a "thumbs-up", causing some embarrassment to the martial artist…

'He probably thinks I'm about ta do somethin' else with her… but all I'm doing is giving her some swimming lessons…'

Heading down the long hallway, the corridor branches into several side passages, each one having a wooden sign in front of them saying "In Use". The pair keep walking until near the end, where they find one that's not being used at the moment.

"Don't forget to flip the sign…" Akane points out as they make a left turn into the corridor.

"I got it…" A quick flick of his finger on the spinning board changes it from "Not in Use" to "In Use".

This new corridor seems to go on forever, over 100 meters pass before the teens exit the building into the outside… a sign on the side provides more information.

"Let's see… private hot spring… four hundred meters…" Akane looks at Ranma. "I guess they really space these out… for privacy reasons…"

Not wanting to think about why that'd be, Ranma diverts the conversation to something else. "At least we're almost there…"

A few small hills later, the path emerges from the bamboo forest that had lined the path to an area filled with many different colored flowers. A circular structure is in the middle… steam can be seen heading out from the center… illuminated by the near full moon in the night sky.

"Well, we're here…" Ranma looks at Akane. "Are yah ready?"

"About as ready as I'll ever be…"

"It ain't that hard… I think I already know what the problem is…"

"Okay… I'm sure we can umm… figure this out. At least I don't have to worry about drowning here…"

"Of course not, I got yah covered, tomboy. I think this'll be fun…"

"If you say so…"

Taking the first steps forward, Akane heads to the door and opens it up. "It's beautiful…"

Stepping inside behind her, Ranma takes a look at the hot spring pool and the surroundings. "Whoever made this… did a nice job wit' the landscaping and such…"

He places his towel well off to the side so it doesn't get wet. Akane takes off her towel and hands it to Ranma, who places it on top of his.

"It's pretty nice…" Akane says as she dips her foot in the water. "Let's relax for a few minutes before we get started…"

Trying to be encouraging, Ranma does his best to get her ready. "Okay… I want yah to loosen up… and not think about what we're gonna be doing. Don't be nervous…"

"I'll try not to be…" Is the reply back as she slides into the water. "Mmm… that feels nice…"

Sitting on the other side of the pool, just a short distance away, Ranma relaxes his tired muscles. 'It's been a long day… I stayed awake on the train… she didn't. I think I'll start with floating… you have to know how to do that… before anything else…'

Looking across the pool, Akane says with some trepidation- "I'm ready…"

"Good…" Ranma walks over to the center, where the water is a bit deeper. It rises to his shoulders… but Akane's almost totally underwater by the time she gets to the same place.

"Ranma… grab me…"

Reaching forward, Ranma grabs his fiancée and pulls her to him. "I got yah…"

"That drops off a lot once you walk away from the edge…" She says while holding onto his shoulders.

"I'm kinda glad it's like this… makes it easy to do our first lesson…"

"And that is?"

"Floating… yah have to learn how to float… so if you get tired, you won't drown."

Knowing that this one of her worst skills, the youngest Tendo thinks about what he just said. 'That's true… but I can't float… I sink like a brick…'

Figuring it'd be best to get this lesson started, before Akane chickens out, Ranma turns his head to look at Akane. "Let go… and lie on your back. I'll hold you up…"

"Umm… okay…"

Slowly, Akane does as she's told… each finger is released, one by one… until she's free. Taking deep breaths, she lies on her back and tries to relax.

Seeing that she's figuring it out already, on her own, Ranma smiles. "Good… that's the main thing… don't panic. Panicking will make you drown…"

"Oh…" Feeling her body dip a little, Akane is about to call out when she feels Ranma's hands supporting her back.

"Don't think about it… just float. A little water is gonna get in your ears… so expect that. Relax those muscles and take slow, deep breaths…"

'Slow… deep breaths…' The thought resonates in the young woman's mind. 'I can do this… it's working!'

After a few minutes, Ranma slowly releases his hands and allows Akane to "free float" around the pool. 'She hasn't even noticed that I've let go…'

"Good job, tomboy… I think you're ready for more…"

Not believing him, she responds back with- "Baka… I just started floating…"

"But you're floating on your own now… I'm not holdin' yah…"

That surprises Akane and makes her excited. "I am?"

"Yeah… good job, Akane…"

"T-thanks…"

Wanting to test her some more, Ranma decides to segue into the next lesson. "Gently kick your legs and comes towards me… keep on floatin'…"

"Okay… here I come…"

A few seconds later, Akane's legs start gently kicking the water and she moves across the pool…

"Just a little more… and stop. You can stand up here…"

"Whew…" Getting on her feet again, the youngest Tendo breaths a sigh of relief.

"I'm gonna hold yah so you can practice kicking and reaching… after we take a short break. I don't wanna rush yah…"

"Okay…"

And so the lessons continue into the night… Ranma realizes that when Akane focuses on the task at hand, she picks up the skill very quickly. 'Either she had a fear of water… somethin' happened to her when she was young… or someone taught her the wrong way.'

Stifling a yawn, Ranma feels ready to call it a night. "You got the basics down now… let's test your swimming form for a minute and call it a night. I'm getting tired…"

"One minute of practice… make sure you keep holding me…"

Ranma makes sure that his arms are securely wrapped around her stomach and then tells her to start. Her legs start kicking… her arms start reaching forward, and her head starts turning back and forth, in imitation of a real swimmer.

Looking forward, he can see that progress is being made- her form is almost on target. "Keep it up… forty five seconds…"

A look at her legs, though, proves to be a little distracting. 'She's got some strong legs… and a nice butt… she looks really nice in this two piece…'

Seeing Akane involved in her practice… and Ranma distracted, a shadowy figure prepares to strike… 'I've got 'em now…'

Author Note: This next part is based on a picture from deviantart, here's a link to it. Credit goes to Lori Finnigan for inspiring the events of the middle of this chapter.

a link to the picture in question, link is used with permission from the artist. Be sure and take a look… so you can physically see this next scene for yourself.

Failing to notice what just happened, Ranma continues to mentally count down the seconds…

'Five… four… three… two… one…'

"Okay, that's enough…"

Feeling Akane suddenly lurch forward, Ranma wonders what's going on. "Hey, I almost let go of yah…"

Barely containing her anger at what just happened, Akane resists the urge to jump out and attack. "Grr… Ranma… look forward and up… don't look at me…"

Doing as he's told, Ranma sees a shadow of a person… who steps into the light. Akane moves her arms to cover her breasts just before a voice calls out from the rocks above.

"Looking good there, Akane. I see Ranma's teaching you well…"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ranma cries out while Akane shakes a fist at the old man in anger.

Happosai grins. "Oh, I was just out for a stroll… and I decided to see how my two favorite students are doing, that's all…"

"Right… you just happened to be ALL the way out here…" Akane says, knowing full well that he followed them out here.

"I'll have you know that I was coming out here long before this resort was here…" Is the reply back. "Young people these days… won't even trust their elders…"

"Give me my top back!"

Deciding to test his former student(s), Happosai sets out some conditions. "Not until I ask you two a few questions first…"

"Okay, let's get this over with…" An impatient Ranma says, not wanting to deal with Happy or an irate Akane for any longer then he has to.

"I'm glad you see it my way… now, Akane… have you been open with my boy Ranma here? You promised that you would be…"

Taken aback for a moment by this unusual question from Happy, Akane slowly replies. "Yes… I've been open with Ranma…"

"And you, Ranma… are you being less stubborn? Are you talking with Akane a lot?"

Ranma nods and then answers. "Of course… and yeah… we talk all the time… I like talking with her…"

"Excellent. I see that I've set you two on the right path… so don't blow it!" He tosses the purple bikini top down and it lands in the water right in front of Akane. "You two have fun now… I've got other things to attend to…"

Stepping back into the shadows, Happosai disappears. 'It seems like they're doing fine… but things still come up… those two haven't had a real test yet. Time to go take a soak… there's hot springs around here that these developers still haven't found…'

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ranma gently lets go of Akane, allowing her to stand on her own. "I'm glad he's gone…"

"Me too…" She says while turning her back to Ranma. Quickly, she puts her top back on and reaches behind her to fasten it when her hands run into something.

"I got it…" A blushing Ranma says while placing the two hooks back into place. "How's that?"

A few slight adjustments and it's back into place… Akane can't believe that Ranma would do something like that without being asked. 'He's getting… bolder. I know it's only a swimsuit top but… it's the first time he's helped me like this…'

"It's fine… thanks…"

"Let's go ta bed…"

Stifling a yawn, Akane walks towards the edge of the pool and then steps out. Ranma follows suit and the two dry off with their respective towels…

"That was good for our first lesson…"

"Yeah… I didn't think that I'd do that good…" Akane admits out loud.

"Tomorrow we can practice some more…"

"Okay… but I also want to try something with you, after breakfast. I got a wonderful gift and I want to show it to you…"

That comment gets Ranma curious. 'I wonder what she means by that? I guess I'll see tomorrow…'

"Right… tomorrow…" A slow yawn comes from Ranma… and then Akane, who promptly make their way back to the room. A few minutes later, both are changed and ready for bed.

"Umm… you first…" Ranma says while raising the blanket and trying not to stare at her yellow pajamas. 'This is making me nervous… I've never slept next to her like this before… and she looks really cute in those pajamas…'

"O-okay…" The youngest Tendo daughter was just as nervous about this idea but after a moments' hesitation, gets under the covers and tries to make herself comfortable…

"M-my turn…"

Akane's eyes lock onto Ranma and watch the martial artist as he slips under the large blanket and adjusts his position…

"Okay… well… umm… good night…"

Ranma tries to focus on sleeping and is nearly unconscious when he feels Akane's hand slip into his…

"Good night Ranma… thank you…"

"No problem…"

The two nervous teenagers finally fall asleep, the days' activities draining them both physically and mentally. The night passes and soon the new day dawns…

Saturday

Back in Nerima, the morning sunlight beams into Ukyo's apartment, slowly awakening Ryoga. He rubs his eyes and notices something's different…

'She's facing me… instead of being the other way around. Seeing her without that ribbon, her hair down like that is… nice…'

The now blushing Ryoga slowly sits up and attempts to exit the futon without disturbing the other occupant. Before he can get out, however, Ukyo wakes up and stretching her arms towards the ceiling and flexing her fingers, which instantly diverts Ryoga's attention to her upper body.

"Ah, that was a good night's sleep…" Ukyo looks over at Ryoga and sees the blush on his face. "Is something wrong Ryoga?"

Quickly averting his gaze, Ryoga nervous replies- "Umm… no…" before changing the conversation to something else. "I guess I'll get dressed and we'll eat breakfast before I umm… go over to the Tendo's…"

"Sounds like a plan… let's get this over with…"

Ukyo watches Ryoga leave the room after making a brief stop at his backpack for a change of clothes. 'This is it… he's going through with it. Now I don't feel so bad about letting him stay here… and was he staring at me just a moment ago?' After shrugging her shoulders, Ukyo stands up and heads over to get her clothes ready for the day…

After ten minutes pass, Ukyo begins to wonder what's going on. 'Is he lost?' A concerned Ukyo walks over to the bathroom door and starts banging on it…

"Are you okay in there?"

"Hold on…" Ryoga replied and tried his best to home in on the noise. Finally finding the door as Ukyo kept hitting it, he opens it and looks at her sheepishly. "All done…" The lost boy says as he steps out of the bathroom chuckling nervously and scratching the back of his head. "It's all yours…"

"You got lost in the bathroom?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, and wondered how such a thing was possible.

Sighing and slumping forward the lost boy finally admitted it. "Y-yeah… sorry… I didn't mean to make you wait…"

Ukyo shrugs her shoulders. "It's okay."

"Umm… I'm gonna make us some breakfast… is that okay?"

A smile forms on the chef's face. "I don't mind. Walk straight ahead and down the stairs… and into the kitchen…"

"Okay..." he said and start to move, but he had not taken more than a step when she stopped him.

"Ryoga..."

"Yes?"

"I don't need help in the bathroom."

"Huh? What?" he asked and began to turn a bright red as he suddenly imagined her -in- the bathroom and what she would be doing in there. "Ah... I…"

"I said, that way..." She pointed behind him and he realized he had just tried to go the wrong way... again.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll help you with breakfast… now walk FORWARD, not towards me…"

Time passes and despite Ryoga getting lost a few times inside the apartment, breakfast is soon on the fire. Conversation is minimal as the pair enjoy a quick breakfast together before "hitting the road" towards the Tendo's residence. Nodoka, who's up early and enjoy a cup of green tea, notices the gate to the property open… and a nervous Ryoga slowly walking forward… each step feeling like ten to the martial artist.

'I wonder what that young man is doing here?' A moment later, a familiar figure appears behind him and begins gently pushing him.

"Keep going, keep going… you can't back out now…"

"Don't rush me…" Ryoga says while turning to face the brunette behind him.

Nodoka gets up and starts walking towards the pair… she addresses Ukyo with a smile. "Ukyo, who's the young man you're pushing towards me? Is this your new boyfriend?"

"Gah! No he just stayed with me last night... I mean at my house! I mean... " The now embarrassed chef stops dead in her tracks and nervous smiles. "Good morning mom…"

Looking at Ukyo critically, she let her new daughter sweat nervously a moment before replying. "Good morning…" she started while staring at the very nervous young man in front of her. "And your name is…?"

"Umm… Ryoga Hibiki…" The lost boy says while scanning the area for Akane.

Sensing the fear in Ryoga, Nodoka tries to calm down Ryoga. "I'm Nodoka Saotome… there's no need to be afraid…"

Ryoga's reply is quick. "It's not of you…"

"Mom, is Akane here?"

Upon the mention of the name "Akane", Ryoga starts to freak out. Nodoka notices this and makes a mental note of it.

"No, she's not here… she went with Ranma and they're at a hot spring together… having some alone time together…" The woman added with a conspiratorial wink that Ryoga missed. "My manly son is even giving her private swimming lessons…" The Saotome matriarch says with a giggle at the end. "I'll have grandchildren in no time at this rate…"

"A hot spring? Wow… I guess those two are making some serious progress… first he's helping her study in her room…" Ukyo says while thinking out loud. "And now this…"

"Oh, I know… I was so happy to see him do that… he's finally focusing on his schoolwork. He tried to sneak into her room without anyone seeing… but mother knows all…" Nodoka says with pride. "I'm sure he was doing more then schoolwork in there…"

Knowing Ranma like she does, Ukyo snorts and dismisses the thought. 'It's too early for them to be doing that… Ran-chan is not one to rush something like this… and I know Akane's nervous about it, too…'

After hearing all the discussion about Ranma and Akane's current "activities", Ryoga is frozen in place. 'That's… scandalous! How could those two be doing such things already?'

Wanting to make an exit, to avoid further embarrassment, Ukyo grabs the frozen Ryoga and starts dragging him behind her not realizing that she is holding on to his hand in order to lead him away from her mom… though mother vision sees her new daughter walking away holding a boys hand. "Oh they grow up so fast... little Ukyo has a boyfriend and they are headed out for a day on the town!"

The peacefulness of a hot springs in Northern Japan is what Akane awoke to, however it was not the hot spring outside that suddenly grabbed her attention. Instead it was what she awoke to inside the room that truly surprised her. "He moved closer,' passed though her mind as she looked at the still sleeping form of Ranma. 'He was sleeping next to me all night. Maybe that's why I felt safe…'

An idea suddenly pops into Akane's head and the young woman stealthily acts. Ranma is totally unaware that his fiancée has not only woken up… but has gotten breakfast- at least, until his nose rouses him from his sleep.

"Mmm… that smells good!"

"Good morning… I took the liberty of getting breakfast…" Akane says as she places a tray down next to Ranma. "Go ahead and eat…"

Not wasting a moment, Ranma reaches for the tray and starts scarfing down his food…

"Is anything getting into that mouth of yours?" Akane asks with a giggle.

"Ha-ha…" Is the wry response from the marital artist. "Wait a second… your outfit… that's new, isn't it?"

Akane watches as Ranma's eyes lock onto her and widen. 'He's staring at me… and this new suit that I got. I knew I'd look good in this…'

Clearing her throat, Akane answers the question. "Yes, it is. I got it not too long ago… and I wanted to show you when the time was right… do you like it?"

"Do I like it?" Ranma pauses to let his eyes scan her body from head to toe. 'She wearing something Chinese… but this has pants, unlike one of Shampoo's outfits. It looks like it's made out of quality material… hmm… that top part is very form fitting… Akane has nice…'

Ranma's thoughts are interrupted… and then put back on track by Akane's movements a moment later. Feeling a sudden burst of confidence about herself, she does a few modeling poses and bends down to look at Ranma…

'She looks so… damn… is she trying to kill me?' Is all that the now blushing Ranma can think about while slowly moving his head back and pinching his nose, in an effort to keep the blood in his body instead of gushing out.

"Why are you holding your nose shut?"

"Ummm…someone was flinging their arms around in their sleep and hit me... yeah, that's it…" Is the quickly made up story by Ranma.

Hearing that, Akane knows better then to believe that obvious lie. She gives Ranma 'the look' and he caves in while chuckling nervously.

"I guess you got me… you look great…"

"Good… I have a little favor to ask you, Ranma…" A small grin forms on Akane's face. "When we're done eating…"

"Yeah…" Ranma says before turning his attention back to his food in an effort to control himself. 'Better eat first and then find out what she wants to do…'

Ten minutes later, in another part of the resort compound, Akane and Ranma entered a small dojo and marvel at the design.

"Just look at the floor, the ceiling… isn't that bamboo beautiful? They've got different designs carved into the walls…"

Ranma shrugs his shoulder. "I guess it looks nice… but why'd yah want to go here?"

"Simple…" Akane looks at Ranma. "To spar with you…"

Ranma tries to beg off. "Spar? Akane, I…"

"Look, I can handle myself. I'm a lot before then before…" Akane says, hoping to convince Ranma that she's strong enough to fight with him.

"Are you sure? I don't wanna hurt yah…" Ranma says, hoping she'll back off.

Unfortunately for Ranma, the suits' influence on Akane's personality continues to grow.

"Yes I'm sure… this tomboy wants to practice…" She says as her battle aura begins to form. Ranma steps back in awe…

'She's really powerful… more then I thought… just look at that. I've never seen her like this before… maybe she can handle a little sparring…'

"All right… let's spar…" Ranma says before taking a deep breath. "You attack first…"

"You asked for it…"

And so the fighting began. Ranma starts out slowly, making simple strikes and countermoves in order not to hurt Akane… but she avoids all the attacks with ease. The pace quickens and the two go at each other with great rapidity… until a yelp is heard.

"Ah, my nose! It's bleeding!" Ranma says, not believing that Akane slipped through and hit him in the face.

"I guess someone did hit you in the nose after all with their flailing arms…" Akane says with a shrug.

Reverting back to his old self, Ranma strikes back verbally. "That ain't funny tomboy!"

Excitedly, Akane responds back in a way that Ranma doesn't expect. Instead of getting angry, she gets more excited. "Oh, come on Ranma, it was just a joke. Let's practice some more… I'm feeling really good about my abilities!"

"But my nose…"

"Oh come on… be a man about it…" Akane steps forward. "Is it the nose… or that you're getting beaten by a girl?"

Not knowing what to say… Ranma is silent. Emotions begin coursing through his body… mostly negative ones. 'What's wrong with her today? Why is she being like this?'

"Are you going to cry now?"

After hearing that line, Ranma puts his hands up in a defensive position in an effort to focus his mind elsewhere… but truth be told, he was close to crying. 'My Akane… what's gotten into her?'

Seeing Ranma get ready to fight again lightens Akane's mood. "Better… just a few more minutes, okay? I'm feeling really confident right now…"

"You don't say…" Ranma mumbles under his breath. "Let's go at it again…"

Several hours later, a mismatched pair arrive back at the Tendo home. One is full of energy and is quite happy… the other is tired, depressed, and the only sunlight in their mind is that of finally arriving back home.

Nodoka sees the pair enter the grounds and immediately knows that something's wrong… but before she can do anything, Soun and Genma interfere…

Addressing his daughter, who's wearing her new gift, Soun asks simply- "How was the trip?"

"Just great! I learned some of the basics of swimming and of course, I got to work on some martial arts too…" Akane says with a grin.

"I guess the gift worked out just fine then, huh, Tendo?"

"Looks like it… she looks perfect in that suit…" Soun says with a nod.

Akane smiles. "Thanks!"

Genma turns to address Ranma. "So boy, how's the work coming along?"

"What work?" Ranma replies back coarsely.

"I thought you two would be working on making an heir to the schools… besides the obvious training, of course…"

Not wanting to answer that question, Ranma just turns and leaves. Nodoka watches and wonders what's wrong.

"Don't worry about him… he's just in a bad mood because he couldn't beat a girl…" Akane says pridefully.

Not believing what he just heard, Soun asks his daughter a question. "You… beat Ranma?"

"Yes…" Akane pauses and feels an urge to recount what happened earlier in the dojo. "We sparred… I broke his nose during the first set… and then I kept up the pressure on the second set… his face kept hitting the floor of the dojo… he didn't stand a chance."

Shocked from what she just heard, Nodoka quietly gets up and heads back into the house in order to find her son. 'Something has possessed Akane- that's not the same woman as before…'

Taking a few steps back, Soun thinks about what he just heard and witnessed. 'She did… that? How in the world did my little girl do that to Ranma of all people… and her attitude… it sounded like she actually enjoyed beating him up.'

Genma is similarly silent. 'My boy… got beaten by Akane. That must mean his training is slacking and he needs to get back into it…'

"I'm off to practice in the dojo… call me when dinner's ready…" With that, Akane walks away from the two fathers, who stand silent several minutes after.

"Saotome…"

"Yes, Tendo?"

"I don't think things are going as planned…"

"Hmm… I agree…"

Nearby, in the upper level of the Tendo home, Nodoka stands in front of a door, her ear pressed against the wood... she hears sounds from inside the room…

'Is that Ranma… crying? This must really be bothering him…'

A gentle knock on the door alerts Ranma to her presence. "Ranma… can I come in?"

Not wanting to be a disappointment in front of his mother, he replies with a simple "No"…

"Son… I want to talk with you…" Nodoka says softly.

"I ain't in the mood…"

Sensing that her son is really distraught about this, Ranma's mother makes another effort.

"She's not herself, is she?"

"No… she ain't… that's not the same Akane…" Ranma admits.

Nodoka hears the sound of footsteps and then the door opens. "Something's wrong with her and I… I… can't figure out what it is…"

"Ranma… let's talk about this inside…" Motioning forward, Nodoka enters the room and closes the door. She sits down on Ranma's futon and motions her son to sit next to her.

Tilting his head downward as he sits down, Ranma keeps the focus off of his face- his broken nose and reddened eyes are badges of shame to him.

"Let's start from the beginning… when did she start acting like this?"

Reluctantly, Ranma begins to relate the story… but is interrupted by the sounds of yelling outside…

"I wonder what that is?" A curious Nodoka asks as she gets on her feet.

"That sounds like Akane…" Ranma says, knowing full well what her yelling sounds like.

"You picked the wrong day to come over, pig boy!" Akane angrily shouts as she charges Ryoga. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you…"

Backing off, Ryoga tries to explain his purpose of being here. "I'm just here to…"

Taking some swings at Ryoga, Akane interrupts his reply. "Save it. I don't care what you're here for… you pervert!"

Ryoga continues to back off and tries to block her blows. "Just listen for one second…"

"I don't want to hear it!"

Her battle aura flaring, Akane goes on the offense… yells from both parties are heard as the fight continue. Ukyo, who's been watching from the entrance gate, cringes as each blow lands. 'Damn! How'd she get so good? She's being really vicious, too… I'm glad I decided to give up instead of fighting her…'

Ranma and Nodoka walk over to the window and peer outside… and are shocked at what they're witnessing.

'Ryoga's getting his ass kicked… by Akane… he sure did pick the wrong time to come over here…' Ranma thinks as he looks on.

'That young man… Ukyo's boyfriend… he's in some real trouble there…' Nodoka thinks as the fight continues.

Despite what's happening, Ryoga is not fighting back… he can't get himself to hit a girl, even if it's one that's savagely attacking him. The blows start to land more and more frequently and soon the lost boy is knocked down on the ground, blood pouring from his nose and from numerous cuts on his body…

Jumping out of the window, Ranma lands on the ground and runs towards Akane.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asks as he nears.

"Stopping you…" Ranma says before making a stand in front of the fallen Ryoga. Not wanting to be interfered with, Akane makes a move to kick Ryoga… and Ranma grabs her…

"What are you doing? He's a pervert! He violated me!" A struggled Akane protests.

Feeling her breaking free, Ranma tries to calm her down. "Look, enough is enough…"

"I don't think he's paid yet…"

"If you keep this up, you're gonna kill him…"

"That's the idea…"

Ranma is taken aback at the words he just heard. 'She said… that's she's gonna kill him. What's gotten into her? I gotta save Ryoga… he may have been wrong, but he don't need to die over this…'

"Stop! This isn't like you Akane!" Ranma yells angrily. "I'm not going to marry a killer!"

After glancing at Ranma, Akane silently walks over to the koi pond and kicks some water from it towards Ranma and Ryoga, triggering their respective curses.

"Then marry the damn pig!" She says before storming out of sight. Kasumi, worried about her little sister and her conduct, heads off in the same direction.

"Saotome… what the hell just happened?" Soun asks, not believing what he just witnessed.

"I… don't know…" Is about all that Genma can say after witnessing that incident. 'I can't say anything to Ranma… if he didn't step in, Ryoga might've been killed.'

Ranma-chan runs over to the nearby clothesline and grabs a towel that's hanging up. A stunned Ukyo emerges from the gate area and runs over to the barely conscious P-chan…

"Ryoga!"

"I think he'll make it… but we have to get him to Dr. Tofu right away…" Ranma-chan says as she wraps the black pig in the towel.

"I'm coming with you…"

"Okay… let's get out of here before she comes back…" Is the nervous reply back.

Nodoka watches her daughter leave with Ranma-chan and the injured P-chan. 'I'm worried about that boy… and Ranma. He's got so many things making him feel down right now… and now Akane's new powers… I'll really have to talk with him when he comes back. Something has to be done about this…'

The journey to Dr. Tofu's office goes without incident. Ranma-chan notices Ukyo's constant glances at the injured pig as they enter the office.

"Ranma, how can I…" Dr. Tofu stops in mid-sentence when he sees the pig in the towel. "What happened?"

The redhead shrugs her shoulders. "Akane went nuts and it looked like she was gonna kill Ryoga here…"

"I just wanted him to apologize… not get killed…" Ukyo adds sadly.

"Let's get some hot water going and then I'll treat the young man… he should be okay once I patch him up…"

Getting right to work, Dr. Tofu gets P-chan into the treatment room. Ukyo and Ranma-chan watch as the doctor changes P-chan back to Ryoga and treats his wounds…

"Ran-chan… what's wrong with Akane?" Ukyo says as she tries to make small talk.

"I don't know… ever since this morning… and she's got this attitude… and power…" Ranma-chan says before dumping some hot water on herself and triggering the change back to male Ranma. "She got this new gi and I think its gone to her head."

"I've seen her be violent… but not like this. She was ready to kill him, wasn't she?"

"It looked like it ta me…" Ranma replies back sadly.

Finishing of his bandaging of his patient, Tofu turns his attention to Ranma and Ukyo. "I couldn't help but overhear what you two were talking about… and I'm shocked. Akane would never do such things… at least, that's what I thought until you two brought Ryoga in…"

"How is he?" A concern Ukyo asks while looking at the resting patient.

"He'll be fine in the long term… but he has numerous bruises and cuts, those will take time to heal. I gave him a mild sedative, he should be up in about an hour…"

"Ukyo, Doc… since he's okay, I gotta go. There's somethin' that I gotta take care of…"

"One second, Ranma… let me fix your nose…"

"Oh, yeah…" Ranma looks down at his broken nose. "That…"

"I'll get some bandages and set it in place…"

After some minor adjustment, the doctor has Ranma's nose back into place and bandaged up. "You'll be good as new as soon as that heals up…"

"Thanks, Doc… I gotta go…"

"I'll see you later, Ran-chan. Don't worry about Ryoga, I'll umm… escort him home…"

Ranma nods his head. "Okay, thanks…"

Dr. Tofu and Ukyo watch Ranma run off and wonder where he's going…

Elsewhere in Nerima, the Cat Café's lights go on for the first time since Shampoo and Cologne left.

"It feels good to be back… but where's our help?" Cologne asks as she starts making up the first batches of noodles for the evening rush.

"Duck-boy need to do job…" Shampoo says as she rushes to tidy up the restaurant.

'Oh, I think he'll be around soon enough…'

Cologne's thought is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a masked figure in the doorway.

"Who's there?" Shampoo asks as she goes on guard.

The figure says nothing and slowly walks forward towards the pair. As he comes into view, Shampoo notices the details of the rest of the outfit.

'Hi-yah! Stranger have all black outfit… very form fitting. Big muscles… and a white mask… very unusual…'

"I see that my great-grand daughter is taken by your appearance, stranger…" Cologne says after noticing the blushing Amazon.

Saying nothing, the man bows first to Cologne and then to Shampoo… and then pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to the older Amazon.

"What that?" A curious Shampoo asks.

"Hmm…" Reading the note to herself, Cologne now understands why the visitor came in. As she's doing that, Shampoo takes a few steps forward and tries to look at the strangers' eyes… but only sees dark lenses, masking the true color of the eyes from her…

"Fine… meet us tomorrow morning just after dawn at the place you indicated on the note…"

No vocal response is given, but a slight nod indicates understanding of the request. A few moments later, the visitor clad in black leaves the restaurant and leaves a flurry of question in his wake…

Back in Dr. Tofu's office, Ryoga comes to… and sees two familiar figures standing in front of him.

"Doctor… what happened to me?"

"You got beat up by Akane… that's what I'm told by Ukyo here…" Is his sad reply.

"Are you okay, sugar?" Ukyo asks while placing a hand on his forehead. "I hope you're not going to get a fever again…"

"Let me get you some aspirin to take home with you and then you'll be ready to go…"

Excusing himself for a moment, Dr. Tofu heads over to a nearby medicine cabinet and removes a small bottle of aspirin. He returns with it and hands the bottle over to Ryoga.

"You may have some headaches or muscle pain, so take some if you feel like you need it…"

Ryoga nods his head. "Thanks, Doc." Turning to look at Ukyo, who's since removed her hand, he smiles. "Ready to go?"

The chef blushes, knowing full well that she is about to play nurse again… and 'ready to go' means going back to her place…

"Yes…"

As Ukyo helps Ryoga to his feet, Doctor Tofu opens the door. "Call me if there's any questions… or problems…"

"Sure…"

The two exit the clinic and are soon out on the street. Supporting Ryoga as they walk, Ukyo makes slow progress down the street. 'This is going to take forever… but at least he'll be okay… now that he's away from Akane…'

"STOP! What did you do my poor Ryoga!" A voice cries out from a distance.

"Excuse me?" Ukyo turns her head and looks around in an effort to find out where that voice came from.

"I said STOP!"

"Ryoga, let me take care of this." Ukyo whispers softly.

The lost boy nods and Ukyo gently leans him up against a tree. "Who's there?"

A gentle laugh is all the response Ukyo gets before a figure appears in front of her.

"Prepare to fight!"

Back at the Tendo home, dinner is being served to a very quiet and solemn group. Akane has elected to skip dinner and no one speaks, they only eat the wonderful meal that Kasumi has cooked up for them. Ranma, previously lost in thought, notices something unusual…

"Kasumi... what happened to your face… you look like you... you've been hit..."

Kasumi quickly covers up what is obviously a red mark on her cheek. "It's nothing Ranma..." She says then rushes into the kitchen.

Nabiki looks wide-eyed at this and mutters: "I... I didn't think Akane would do it..."

"Do what?" Her father asked.

"Akane told us to go away when we talked to her earlier... she said to go away or else... and... and I left but Kasumi... I didn't think Akane would hurt her."

Soun cannot believe it. "Oh no… Kasumi…"

"This has gone too far…" Genma remarks to no one in particular.

Hearing that even Kasumi was a target for Akane's anger, Ranma makes a decision. 'This has to stop… I'm gonna go and talk to her right now…'

Rushing up the stairs, Ranma is soon at the door marked "Akane Tendo". He flings the door open and prepares to give Akane a piece of his mind… but is stopped short by what he sees inside…

"Go away!"

Ranma takes a few steps inside and is surprised to see Akane curled up in a corner, her face etched with tears. Her puffy, red eyes lock onto Ranma and she once again repeats her request.

"I'm not in the mood to talk, go away!"

Taking a deep breath, Ranma hopes that he doesn't regret this next move later. "No, I'm not going anywhere…" He says as he closes the door behind him. "We need to talk… NOW…"

To be continued in Chapter 11: The suit makes the man... and woman.

Looks like I set another personal record with this chapter… 43 pages and over 13K words. This one was a tough one to write… look for another chapter in one of my stories soon… and possibly even a brand new one. (Sailor Moon) Until next time, keep an eye out on my author profile or check fanficrus and mediaminer for updates. Later!


	11. Chapter 11: The suit makes the man

Chapter 11: The suit makes the man... and woman.

This chapter will bring a few people in from another anime… so keep an eye out for that. Since there's several things happening at the same time, I will post each events for Saturday for each character separately before talking about Sunday in my normal fashion.

Part A

Nabiki

Hearing a commotion upstairs after seeing Ranma zoom by, Nabiki decides to fight her curiosity and take a walk, pondering the events of the day. 'I don't know what's gotten into Akane… and it sounds like Ranma's gone up to talk with her… maybe he can handle it better then me or Kasumi…'

After walking for a while, Nabiki sees a familiar face in the distance. "Is that you, Naru?"

The brunette adjusts her glasses and looks up. "If it isn't Nabiki… what brings you out here?"

"I was just out for a walk… there's some stuff going on at home… and I for once I don't want to get involved…"

"I see… well… did you want to talk? I've closed up for tonight and I'm just waiting for my fiancée to get off of work…" Naru says as she motions at the bench she's sitting on.

Nabiki shrugs her shoulders and then sits down. "Why not?"

"So… what's going on at the Tendo house? Besides the 'usual', of course…" Naru says with a slight giggle.

"You mean the 'unusual'… but there's something wrong with my sister, Akane…" Nabiki lowers her head. "She went with Ranma yesterday to a hot spring resort… and when she came back, she'd changed…"

"Changed… how?"

"This guy, Ryoga came by… I told you about the original incident before… but for some reason, he came over and Akane beat him to a pulp… and she didn't stop there. Ranma tried to stop her… and it sounded like she wanted… wanted to kill him…"

Naru was shocked to say the least. "Kill? I thought she was a lot calmer then before… but even the old Akane, as far as you've told me, wouldn't want to kill someone…"

"That's not the only thing… Kasumi tried to get her to stop… and she hit her…"

"Oh…" Is about all that Naru can say back. 'I wonder what happened to Akane? It doesn't sound like the same girl I talked to a few weeks ago… the one that was trying to look good for her fiancée…'

"Ranma ran past me as I was leaving… I'm sure he's talking to her right now… I hope he is…" Nabiki tries not to sound depressed but it's painfully obvious to Naru. 'I think I should tell her more about me… maybe that'd help…'

"I was like your sister in the past… and I still have that part of my personality… it's something that I'll probably never get rid of. Keitaro, my fiancée, knows that… but he still wants me just the same."

"I guess Ranma feels the same way about Akane… they're both stubborn, hard-headed people… a perfect match once they admitted their feelings for each other…"

Naru nods her head. "I umm… had a problem with that myself… it took a lot of time to overcome that…"

"Oh… I had no idea…"

Nabiki silently contemplates that thought and realizes that being open about romantic feelings isn't as common as she thought it was. A few moments later, a voice calls out the name "Naru"

"It's Keitaro…" Naru says as she gets to her feet. "I've got to go… stop by tomorrow if you have a chance…"

"Okay…" Nabiki waves 'bye' to her friend as she heads home with her fiancée. 'I guess I'd better go home and see what's going on…'

The middle Tendo daughter heads home, taking her time and hoping that all will be okay when she returns.

Akane and Ranma

"Talk? I told you I don't want to talk…" Akane says while trying to compose herself.

"You hit Kasumi! I can forgive you hitting me… and going crazy on Ryoga… but what'd your sister do? I don't believe you!" Ranma says, letting the young woman know what his thoughts were on all of the insanity on her part that he witnessed today.

"I… I…" Words fail the youngest Tendo daughter for a moment. "Ranma- I can't believe I did that either… I feel… like someone's telling me what to do… pushing me in directions that I didn't want to go…"

"You can say that again… geez… you scared me, yah know? That wasn't the Akane that won that four way battle for me… that was someone entirely different. I've seen you mad before but nothing like this… you were out to kill…"

"Of course I was! That pervert…!"

Fighting the urge to say even more negative things, Akane reaches out her hand towards Ranma and softly utters the word 'Help' while focusing in on the memory of her sister and her shocked face.

'Something's wrong here… but I gotta try and help her…' Ranma thinks while he walks closer. He takes her hand and helps her back to her feet… but feels her stumble a moment later and land against him.

"Ranma… please…"

"Akane?" A worried Ranma says back. "What's wrong?"

Akane closes her eyes and struggles to explain. "There's this… feeling… urge… something inside… that wants me to be… be like I was earlier…"

Ranma looks down and realizes that she's still wearing that suit. 'No… it couldn't be… could it? She did just get that thing… and it was this morning that she went crazy…'

"Is it the suit?"

"It… it could be…" Akane says, feeling the growing urge to deny that thought and start yelling at Ranma.

"Okay… do you need any help?" Ranma asks innocently, not trying to sound perverted.

"NO!" Akane pauses and tries to get her focus back. A couple seconds later, she shakes her head and looks at Ranma intently. "I… I… yes… but it's not that easy… ow…"

"How do I help yah?" Ranma says, getting more concerned by the second.

"There's a spot… that makes the suit fall apart… I think…"

Hearing that, Ranma feels hopeful. "Okay… but where is it?"

Akane doesn't respond and starts to shake… the suit's powers are trying their best to take hold of her mind again.

"Akane! Fight damn it! Tell me where that spot is…"

Tears form on the young woman's face as she fights the power of the suit. "Belt… b… b… belt buckle…"

"Oh…" Ranma steps back and looks at the suit… and is about to make a move when Akane cries out in pain.

"Akane! Are you okay?"

Pain shoots through the young woman's body as she summons all her mental power to reject the almost overwhelmingly strong feelings trying to take hold of her. Her eyes slowly close and her breathing becomes labored…

"Ranma… it's over…" Akane says before collapsing to the ground. "I figured out how to stop it…"

"Huh? I didn't hit nothin'…" A confused Ranma says while wondering what she means by that.

"Sorrow… pain… regret… over what I did… when I focused on those, I was able to beat it back…"

"So that's what happened…"

The young woman reaches her hand towards Ranma again. "Help me up, please…"

"Sure…" Ranma helps his fiancée to her feet. She rushes against him and wraps her arms around him.

"Please tell me… that you don't hate me…"

"Akane…" Ranma gently caresses her hair. "I don't… but if this would've continued any longer… I'd have… umm…"

"Have what?" She asked, fearing the possible answer that he was about to give.

"I'd have thought about leaving… Akane… you really pushed everyone to the edge… that wasn't the Akane that I know and umm…" Ranma says, his eyes now focused on the floor in sadness.

The sound of gentle sobbing fills the room- Akane knows what word he was going to say next... and how much it hurt him to say that. "I'm sorry… so sorry… I… I didn't want to lose you, either."

"Akane… I'm glad… glad your back…"

Several moments pass before Akane slowly tilts her head, her gaze meeting that of Ranma's. "You don't know… how good that makes me feel inside… you saying that…"

"Anything for my tomboy…"

Akane is about to respond to that when she hears a ripping sound. 'What's going on?' A red blush forms on Ranma's face and Akane wonders why.

"What was that?"

"Your umm… pants fell apart… umm…" Ranma says while turning his head away. 'I don't wanna get her mad… by staring at her nice legs and those thighs of hers… heh... they're not really thick are they. They look soft... and... and... she's got on those white... panties...' Ranma's eyes begin to widen further and he swears he can feel a build up of pressure in his nose. 'Damn...she looks...good!'

Feeling embarrassed but not wanting to let go, Akane looks at Ranma and says- "I want you to look at me, Ranma… keep your eyes above my waist…"

"Sure thing… umm…" Another ripping sound is heard and Ranma watches as a line forms on the center part of the collar of Akane's suit… and heads south. His eyes get progressively wider as more of her body is exposed with each passing moment…

"Is that my suit again?" A worried Akane asks before the garment finally tears completely.

"Uh-huh…" Ranma says dumbly as his eyes are focused on a spot above her waist as she had asked. 'I dunno how I called her flat-chested before… she has a nice figure.'

"Ranma!" Akane quickly turns around… and then feels the garment fall of her completely- a sudden chill passes through her body. "What the hell just happened? I'm almost naked!"

"I think that suit don't like positive emotions… and love…"

"Oh… maybe you're right…" Feeling exposed and cold, Akane quickly turns around and presses herself against Ranma, so he can't see her exposed breasts. This has the effect of distracting the martial artist, though… he can't see her body but can certainly feel it…

"You should umm… cover up…"

Akane explains her reasoning. "I know… but I don't want to leave you, either… not for a little while…"

Ranma thinks about this dilemma and comes up with a solution. "Akane, let me help you…" He reaches down and slowly takes off his shirt… and then places it over the now shivering Tendo. "You should be warmer now…"

"Thank you…" Akane says before placing a kiss on Ranma's cheek. He closes his eyes and pulls her back into a hug. "I'll keep yah warm…"

Akane snuggles into his chest and tries to make herself comfortable, despite the constant thoughts of fear going through her mind. 'I almost lost him… and I hurt him… I hurt Kasumi… I hope they'll forgive me…'

As the two silently hold each other, the door to the room silently closes. Nodoka steps back and starts walking towards the stairs…

"Auntie… is everything okay?" Kasumi asks after seeing the woman back away from the door.

"Oh, it'll be fine… my manly son has taken care of her… I saw the suit on the floor… and he took off his shirt for her…"

Hearing that, Kasumi blushes. "They aren't… doing anything improper, are they?"

"Not yet…" The Saotome matriarch says with a wink.

"Oh my…" Kasumi says before excusing herself. She heads back to her room and takes a momentary break to think about something.

'All of this talk about Akane and Ranma makes me wonder… they have each other… they aren't alone. Nabiki seems okay with that at the moment but me…'

Taking a deep breath, Kasumi steps in front of the mirror.

'But I'm all alone… and I don't like it. I run this house… but it's not mine… I'm a housewife without a husband… how do I find someone to be happy with? Akane seems to have so much fun with Ranma…'

The brunette grabs her hairbrush and gently brushes her hair, all the while thinking about this problem and how to solve it.

'Dr. Tofu… likes me… a lot… and I like him. He's a nice person… and he helps people. He cares about people… I care about people. I'm sure I could keep on learning and be able to help out as well…'

A slight blush forms on the young woman's face as she thinks about this more. 'Maybe I should go and talk with him… and see if he feels the same way.' Walking over to her clothes drawer, Kasumi opens the top drawer and reaches inside.

'I wear these for a reason…' She thinks while pulling the bra out of the drawer. 'This is comfortable… but it's also… sexy.'

After thinking that thought, with the word 'sexy' in it, Kasumi feels her face grow even redder. 'I want to look good… for my special someone… especially after we get married… that's why I wear things like this…'

Slowly, Kasumi closely her eyes and tries to compose herself again. 'I normally don't think about these things… but something's changed… and perhaps that's a good thing. I want to be happy, or at least have a chance at it… just like Akane had. I can still be… sexy… underneath and still be modest…'

"Hey sis…" A voice calls from the doorway.

"Nabiki… when did you get back?"

"Just now… how's Ranma and Akane doing?" Nabiki asks, wanting an answer to the burning question on her mind.

Oh, I think they're just fine… and maybe…" Kasumi says as her face turns red.

"No way…" Nabiki interrupted then looked apologetic, "I'm sorry, you were about to say?"

"Oh… it's nothing." The oldest Tendo tries to avoid eye contact after saying that. 'Why am I thinking about –that-?'

"I see…" Nabiki then notices the bra in her sisters' hand and decides to tease her a little. "Were you thinking about someone? Hmm?"

"No one… I wasn't thinking about doctor… I mean…"

"Doctor I mean? Does this mean that you've found another doctor?" Nabiki says, knowing full well who her sister is talking about.

"No! There's only one doctor for me… umm…" The now very red in the face young woman turns away from her sisters' gaze.

'I knew it… she still wants that guy…' Nabiki thinks to herself. A moment later, she's surprised to hear sobs coming from her sister. "Are you okay?"

"Yes… no… maybe…"

Dropping her playful tone, Nabiki gets serious. "Kasumi…"

Tears drop from her eyes as she turns to look at her younger sister. "I guess I'm not…"

"You can say that again… what's wrong?"

"I'm… I'm…" The bra drops out of her hand as she tries to explain her feelings. "I'm… all alone… am I wearing nice things just to fool myself?"

"No… you're smart, you're pretty… you shouldn't be…lonely." Nabiki stops and realizes what she's just gave advice that she should heed herself. "Sis, you should be happy…"

Kasumi says nothing but walks forward and gives her sister a big hug. "Thank you…"

"No problem…" Nabiki says with a slight sigh. 'Maybe I should be thinking about this too…'

"You're very smart Nabiki…"

"Oh I know…" Is the reply from the now grinning Tendo. "All three of us are smart… just in slightly different areas, that's all…"

"Yes…"

"I'm sure we'll be just fine…"

Kasumi takes note of the way Nabiki said that last line and wonders about her sister… 'Is she having the same problem as me?'

"Nabiki… is there someone… that you want to impress?"

Startled by that sudden question all Nabiki can manage to say is "Gah... I..."

Kasumi giggles and then lets go of her sister. "I think it's time for dinner… I'm sure everyone is hungry…"

"You ain't joking…" Ranma says from the hallway. "What's for dinner?"

Akane steps into the room and her eyes met her sisters'… the gentle soul that is Kasumi. Despite her best efforts, the bruise on her face is still somewhat visible…

Akane's conscious begins hitting her- hard. "Kasumi… I'm so sorry…" Tears form in her eyes as she runs towards her sister and gives her a hug. 

Kasumi's first reaction is to flinch, causing her younger sister to feel worse about the situation.

'What have I done?' Akane silently wonders to herself. After realizing that Akane isn't going to hurt her, Kasumi speaks.

"Akane… it's okay… really… I'll be fine…" She says in a soothing tone.

"I'm sorry…"

"It'll be okay… you weren't yourself…"

"How do yah know that?" Ranma asks, wondering how she knows.

"Because I know my little sister…" Kasumi says with a smile.

Watching the touching scene unfold, even Nabiki is moved and holds off from making a comment. 'I'm glad that those two worked things out… and Akane apologized to Kasumi… I swear there's too much drama in this house sometimes…'

Akane gently breaks the hug and stands next to Ranma. For the first time since her sisters' arrival, Nabiki gets a look at what she's wearing. 'She's wearing Ranma's shirt… and her skirt matches his pants… maybe they did do something…'

Ranma, now wearing his white workout shirt and a pair of his trademark pants, reminds Kasumi about dinner. "We can talk later… I'm hungry!"

"Oh, I'll bet you are…" Nabiki says with a sly grin. "You fill that out well, sis…"

Akane blushes. "Thanks…"

"She sure does…" Ranma's words are cut off by a well placed elbow to the ribs by Akane.

"Ranma!"

Ranma shrugs his shoulders and looks at Akane. "What? You look good and you definitely ain't flat-chested… oh boy…" After letting that slip out, he knew he was going to get hit again.

"You shouldn't hit him for complementing you Akane…" Nabiki says, chiding her little sister. "He may not be the most articulate guy out there… you have to take what you can get…"

"Hey!" Ranma yells in protest.

"Yeah... he is rather loud, egotistical and annoying at times..." Akane says before Ranma can reply to Nabiki.

"Hey now wait a minute!" The pig-tailed martial artist says, not liking what he just heard.

Akane sighs. "But he is also kind and sweet... and..." she then sighs softly recalling some of the things he's said to her.

"Um... I..." Ranma blushes.

"Oh my... um... now, now… let's not tease Ranma too much… he helped out a lot today, right?" Kasumi says while looking at her sister. She then turns and smiles at Ranma.

Nabiki motions Kasumi towards the door. "I think we should escort the Saotome twins downstairs…"

"Why would I want her to be my twin? Yuck!"

"Oh really Saotome?" Nabiki asked while Akane looked at him trying to decide if she should be angry or not.

"I mean if we were twins then she be like my sister, ya know? And then it'd be real weird trying to marry your sister... that's just... gah... I don't want to think about that!"

Kasumi giggled at that. "So you're glad that Akane is not your twin so you can marry her?"

"Exactly, I mean... I... oh...um..."

It was at this point that the two elder girls giggled and laughed at their beet red little sister who was trying to not let her face explode form the severe blush. Ranma is also stopped in his tracks… he doesn't know what to do or what to say…

The pair fail to notice a new figure was walking down the hallway towards them…

"I take it that you helped Akane back to normal…" Nodoka says to her son while staring at his clothes… and realizing that Akane was dressed with his shirt and a black skirt. "Should I call you Akane Saotome, my dear?"

"Umm…" Akane blushes and has no answer to that.

"Good idea, Auntie…" Nabiki says with a grin. "They're practically married as it is… and now they're dressing alike…"

"Nabiki!" Ranma says, feeling embarrassed as well as wanting to take the attention off of Akane.

"I'm just trying to help out… there's a special dinner on the stove right now. I wanted to give Kasumi a break… and Nabiki says that there's a movie on tonight for you two…"

Nabiki cheerfully nods her head. "That's right…"

"Which movie is that?" Kasumi asks, wondering what her younger sister is up to.

"Oh, it's something for just the two of them…" Nabiki says, dodging the issue.

"I guess that's okay… dinner and a movie…" Akane says while looking at Nodoka. "Thank you for making dinner…"

"It's no problem… I want to help out… but not overdo things…" Ranma's mother says as she takes a sideways glance down the hallway. "Let's say I found out something earlier…"

Akane and Ranma both have an inkling about what she meant by that… but say nothing.

"I don't want to pressure you two… but I do want to help out. In a way that doesn't drive you two apart…" Nodoka says loudly, hoping that her words echo throughout the house and fall upon the ears of two fathers downstairs.

"I see…" Kasumi pauses and then speaks again. "Can I help out with dinner?"

"Of course…"

Nodoka leaves first and Kasumi silently follows… Nabiki takes another glance at the couple and then follows her sister downstairs. After the three are out of sight, Ranma turns and looks at Akane.

"Sounds like my mom is up to somethin'…"

"Yeah… I wonder… does it have anything to do with that suit? It was a present… and it obviously came from someone other then her…" Akane says while looking at Ranma thoughtfully. "I think she's trying to help us… in a good way, unlike some of the schemes our fathers have cooked up…"

"True…"

Akane smiles. "You ready to see what all of this is about?"

"I'm ready whenever you are…"

The pair head downstairs and find the table already set up for dinner. After looking around for a few minutes, the two realize that something's wrong…

"Where's my father?" Akane asks, wondering why it was so quiet downstairs.

"Oh… they decided to help me do some errands… they'll be back later tonight…" Nodoka says while sticking her head into the room. "Dinner's ready, by the way…"

Akane and Ranma shrug their shoulders and then sit down, knowing that the pair would mostly likely not be out doing errands on their own… Nodoka had struck again.

Part B

Elsewhere in Nerima, the pair of fathers trudges down a busy street in the market area, trying to find the last items on a long list given to them by Nodoka…

"This is crazy! She has us running around the marketplace looking for these obscure herbs… maybe we'd have been better off asking Cologne… they sound Chinese…" Genma says, complaining as he peers into the next stall in front of him.

"I think this is her way of… telling us to back off…" Soun says with a sigh. "That suit backfired, you know…"

"I wanted Akane to be stronger, to be a match for my boy… but it looked like her ego got a boost as well as her strength…"

"True… my baby went crazy… I've never seen her like that before…" Soun says with a sigh. His eyes catch something in a nearby stall and he runs over to it. "One second, Saotome… I found one of our last items…"

"Good work Tendo! That leaves us with rice and pork, the easy ones to get…" An overjoyed Genma says, grateful that this shopping trip is nearly over.

A few moments later, Soun returns and the pair get the quantity of the two remaining items that they need and start heading back to the Tendo home…

"It's over… it's finally over…" Genma says as the exit the marketplace area.

"I'm sure all of this will make for a fine meal… for somebody…" Soun says, adding emphasis on the last part.

"She is a fine cook… but I'm sure we'll get some… I hope…" The last two words are utterly softly by Genma… Soun does hear them and agrees with his friend.

About ten minutes later, the two arrive back at home… and find Nodoka waiting just beyond the gate…

"I was wondering when you two would be getting back… I hope that the list wasn't too much trouble…"

Genma is the first to speak. "No dear, we found everything you asked for. What's all of this for, anyway?"

"For tomorrow's dinner, of course…" Is the reply back with a smile from Nodoka. 'Maybe I'll let them have some of my special dinner… if they help me make it…'

"Ah… I'm sure it'll be delicious…" Soun Tendo says with a slight nod.

"Let's get this stuff into the house… and be quiet, Ranma and Akane are watching a movie together…" Nodoka says while shooting a glance at both fathers.

Happy to hear that the two are spending time together, Soun happily obliges. Genma wants more details… but wisely refrains from opening his mouth until a better place to talk presents itself…

In the front room, Ranma and Akane are sitting on pillows while waiting for the movie in question to start. Akane adjusts her position to lean against Ranma, causing the young man to blush.

"Umm… did yah want some more popcorn?"

"I'm fine… let's wait a few minutes until the movie actually starts before we eat it all…" Akane says with a giggle.

"It looks like there's some sci-fi marathon going on… it's showing the credits from the last film right now… are you sure this is the right station?" Ranma asks, not sure if this is what they're supposed to be watching.

"Well… we're a couple minutes early, according to the time Nabiki told us." Wanting to take full advantage of this pause before movie, Akane strikes up some small talk.

"Ranma… I like your shirt- it's pretty comfortable…" Akane says, referring to the clothes she's wearing. "I'd bet your pants would be a little loose on me, though…"

"Well, I am taller then you…"

"Not when you're a girl…" Akane quickly counters.

"That's true…" Ranma says, conceding the point. "I wear these clothes so I can handle either situation… like the shirt… it can handle…"

"Handle what?" Akane asks with a grin. "Your full figure? Huh? You were sounding pretty proud a second ago…"

"Hey, it ain't my fault that the curse's girl was so busty… are you j…" Ranma bites his tongue and stops himself before he insults Akane.

"Hmm… I bet I know what you were going to say, Ranma…" Akane sighs. "But you didn't… I guess we're making progress."

Ranma smiles. "Yeah… I umm… don't want you mad at me…"

"Same goes for me… and just for the record, Ranma… there's not that much of a different between us anymore…" Akane says while glancing down at her chest. "I'm not the girl you met a year ago… the one you called 'flat-chested'… I'm a woman now…"

Ranma is silent and thinks about that statement. 'You can say that again… she has gotten a fuller figure… but I didn't want to admit that I liked the way she looks… at least until recently…'

After clearing his throat, Ranma decides to admit something. "Umm… yeah… you're right… those look nice… I mean uh… yeah… Akane… the movie's starting…" A bright red blush covers his face as he stares at the TV screen and avoids eye contact with Akane.

Deciding not to push the issue, Akane takes a moment to think about his words. 'He admitted it… he likes my fuller figure… and that makes me feel good. It sounded like he was going to say something else… but the movie is starting… he just got lucky there…'

The opening music starts to play and the movie begins.

"Well, here comes the title… ummm…" Ranma cringes as he reads the words aloud, careful not to accent certain parts of the title unnecessarily. "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan…"

"NABIKI!" Akane cries out. "It figures she'd get lucky and bait us to watch this movie…"

"I know… it ain't funny… I already saw your wrath this morning and I didn't like it…" Ranma says in a half-joking manner.

"Ranma… don't push it…" Akane says with a slight growl.

Wanting to calm Akane down but also keep her close, Ranma decides to make a stand for staying put. "Look… I ain't never seen this movie before… and we got popcorn and soda already out for it… so let's watch it…"

Reaching for the bowl of popcorn, Akane decides to give in and stay. "I guess so… it couldn't hurt…"

Relieved that Akane didn't get out of control, Ranma relaxes and takes a few deep breaths. He feels Akane move a little and decides to try and make her a little more comfortable…

"Here…" He says while putting his left hand on her right shoulder. After moving slightly to get into a better position, Akane blushes. 'He's looking out for me…'

The movie begins… and the two watch with rapt attention, enjoying the company of each other as well as the movie itself. During one of the commercial breaks in the second half, Akane makes a comment that gets Ranma a little riled…

"So Kirk got back on the ship… and he's making a break for it…"

"Yeah… he's really pissing that Khan guy off there by taunting him…" Ranma says with a nod.

"It looks to me like it was one big game of cat and mouse…"

"CAT? WHERE?" Ranma says as he starts twitching.

Akane mentally chides herself for saying that last statement. 'Oh no… I forgot that he has a fear of cats. Good one, Akane…'

After clearing her throat, Akane tries to rephrase her statement. "What I meant to say was… umm… hide and seek, yeah… that's why Kirk's making a break for that nebula it showed before the commercial break."

"Oh… whew…" Ranma takes several deep breaths and tries to calm down. "I'm glad you weren't gonna talk more about those creatures…"

"I'm sorry Ranma… I forgot all about that…" Akane says apologetically.

"It's okay… just don't do that again…" Ranma says with a nervous grin on his face.

Akane, who has noticed the slow movement of Ranma's right hand down her side, feels it move onto her hip. 'He's been up to something… he wants to hold me, to touch me… being close to him is getting easier everyday… as long as I don't ruin it like I almost did this morning…'

As the movie starts up again, Ranma breathes a sigh of relief. 'I don't think she noticed. I wanted to see what her skirt feels like… and her legs… it's easy to like the way she looks when she's not hitting me and insulting me every other minute…'

Watching the couple from the distance, Nodoka Saotome smiles and thinks about what she's observed since she started watching them a short while ago.

'Those two are becoming more comfortable… and talking without stinging words. I think both of them are making real progress- Ranma is finally comfortable with her presence. It won't be long before my manly son will make that commitment with her, I just know it…'

The finale of the movie comes on the screen and the emotions of the end scene affect both teens…

"He died… for his friends, for his ship…" Akane says to Ranma.

"Yeah, he sacrificed himself…" A nodding Ranma agrees. "That wasn't a bad movie… but I wish no one had died."

"Yeah. Ranma, after seeing that… I have to…"

Ranma, knowing what she's going to say, gently rubs his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Akane… you don't gotta keep apologizing… it's fine. My nose will be okay… and I'll teach you- you don't need a special suit to learn."

A warm feeling comes over Akane after hearing that. 'He thinks I'm talented enough to learn… he's not just saying it to make me feel better… but let's make sure…'

"Ranma- are you serious? You're not playing around with me, are you?"

"No… yah got talent… I'd like having a partner that knows the art…" Ranma says, revealing one of his one deepest desires that he hadn't shared before.

"Ranma…" Akane swoons. "Thanks… that means a lot to me."

"It's no problem… anything for my tomboy…" A grinning Ranma says while moving his face closer to hers.

Akane moves her lips closer and the two lovers begin to express their feelings. Ranma feels her body pressing against him and slowly lets his body slide back until it hits the floor.

"Akane…"

"No one's around… and I don't care who's watching…" Akane says before she presses her lips against Ranma's again.

Ranma's normal reaction, to look around, is trumped by his desire to kiss and hold Akane. The pressing on her chest against his only adds to the moment- the only thing he sees and feels is Akane.

'She's really getting into this… and she feels good… I have to try this out…'

His curiosity about her skirt and legs comes to mind and soon Ranma's hands make their way down her back and onto her legs… making a short stop at her behind on the way.

'They are soft… damn, I was so wrong about her… I almost lost this…' Ranma thinks as his finger dance across the soft skin just below her skirt line.

The make out session last for a short while longer before it's interrupted…

"Ahem. I don't mean to interrupt this joyous moment…" A happy Nodoka says while walking into the room.

Going red in the face, Akane slowly rolls off of Ranma and straightens her skirt. Inside, she's quite happy about what he was doing, despite being caught in the act. 'He squeezed my butt- and he was touching my skirt and my legs! Ranma made a move on me! I knew he wanted me just as much as I want him…'

"My son, you were being so manly there…" Nodoka says, beaming with pride. "You were taking my advice from before…"

"Umm… yeah…" A blushing Ranma says as he sits up. "I'm umm… glad it was you that came out here… and not…"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about her…" Nodoka says with a motherly smile. "She's playing a game with your father and Mister Tendo… I arranged that…"

"A game? What could you have possibly gotten her into to stop her from spying on us?" Akane asks, curious about what tactic Nodoka used to keep Nabiki at bay.

"Oh, something I picked up a while ago… and given her love of money, I figured it would be a hit…" The Saotome matriarch says with a grin. "Monopoly…"

Akane thinks about it and remembers hearing the name before. "I think I've heard of it…"

"Well… you've got a chance to play… I told her that all of us were going to play in the next game…"

Ranma and Akane exchange looks and shrug their shoulders. Both say almost simultaneously- "Why not?"

As the three head off to give Monopoly a try, a discussion is going at the Cat Café between the server and the owner of the establishment…

Shampoo

"Dinner rush very heavy… and duck-boy nowhere to be found…" Shampoo says as she grabs another order from Cologne.

"Come now child, it's not that busy in here… you're doing a wonderful job…"

Despite receiving a compliment, the young Amazon is focused on the late evening crowd and what she saw earlier in the day. She silently takes the food and takes it over to the waiting customers…

'Masked man was very handsome and he had a very nice body… I wonder who he was? He's challenging me tomorrow… I wonder what skills he'll use?'

Cologne observes her great-grand daughter from the kitchen and has an idea about what she's thinking about. 'I bet she's thinking about the challenger… I guess Mousse's absence isn't that big of a deal to her right now, despite what she says…'

"Ready for next order…" A distracted Shampoo says as she approaches the counter.

"I bet you're wondering where you partner is…" A teasing Cologne says, trying to get her great-granddaughter to cheer up.

"Hmmph. Shampoo not worried…"

"Maybe he found a girlfriend…"

That gets Shampoo to smile… and then laugh. "Very funny… Shampoo don't think he get girl so easy…"

"Hopefully he'll be back tomorrow… or I'll have to take some action…" Cologne says sternly.

"Yes… Shampoo no need to do all the work, no matter what the crowd…" The young Amazon says with a nod. "Maybe Shampoo need to take time off for fun too…"

"We'll see…"

The evening wears on and the dinner crowd thins out. Soon, it's time to close up the shop and Cologne flips the sign at the front door to say "Closed".

"Go have some dinner, child… you must be exhausted."

Shampoo nods her head and heads into the kitchen. She prepares a large bowl of ramen and adds some chicken to the noodles… and heads over to a nearby table to eat.

"You must be hungry…" A grinning Cologne says upon observing the bowl and it's contents. She sits down next to Shampoo and decides to let her eat in peace.

Tossing her long purple hair behind her shoulders, Shampoo smiles. "Yes, Shampoo very hungry… long day. Still, it very interesting…"

"Oh… and how is that? Did one of the customers catch your eye?" A cackling Cologne says, much to Shampoo's chagrin.

"Customers always staring at Shampoo's figure… men all the same."

"Perhaps… you've grown into quite the attractive young woman…" Cologne says, wanting to change the focus of the conversation a little. "Maybe you should talk to them…"

"Shampoo no want man from Japan… Shampoo want…" A soft sigh escapes her lips. "Never mind…"

Seeing the sudden change in her great-granddaughter's demeanor, the Amazon matriarch immediately tries to cheer her up. "Now, now… you did your best. We've already talked about this… don't get depressed, my dear…"

"Since Shampoo was defeated… what we going to do now? Stay here? Go home?"

"I'm still working on that answer… I'll know for sure by tomorrow. There's several factors to consider… and some unorthodox methods for me to think about…"

That piques Shampoo's interest.

"Like what?"

"Hmm… I think it's best if I don't tell you… but you'll see soon enough. In any case, you are a very talented young woman… and we need to find you a capable partner…"

Suddenly, the image of the stranger from this morning flashes in Shampoo's mind. "You mean masked stranger from this morning?"

"Perhaps… he is strong… and talented. He does have a chance of beating you…"

Shampoo grins. "Shampoo will win over handsome man…"

After hearing Shampoo let some of her feelings slip into her last statement, Cologne knows that she must be interested in some level with the challenger. 'This may work out… but he has to win and do it in the proper way… she's very determined not to lose again to anyone…'

"You'll get to prove that to me tomorrow morning… why don't you take a shower and get ready for bed?"

"Okay…"

The young Amazon woman finishes her dinner and heads into the kitchen. After cleaning her bowl and putting it away, she heads upstairs and takes a long shower. Her mind, even after she's done showering and in bed, cannot help but think about the masked stranger from earlier in the day. 'That masked man… he was good looking. Those muscles… he looks like a real strong man… but there was a certain gentleness to him. I wonder who he is? I guess I'll find out tomorrow…'

Ukyo & Ryoga

Heading back to a time just after the doctor's office visit, Ukyo finds herself face to face with a young lady… and a giant pig. Ryoga's eyes go wide as he recognizes both…

"Who are you?" Ukyo says while reaching for spatula.

"My name is Akiri… and you've hurt my Ryoga…" The young woman says before jumping off the pig. "I was coming here to visit and I saw you lead him over to that house… lead him like a lamb to the slaughter. You forced him in there with that violent woman… and nearly got him killed…"

"Now just hold on a second- you don't know the whole story…" Ukyo glances at Ryoga for a moment. "I had no idea Akane was out to kill… that's not my fault…"

"But you forced him in there- I saw it!"

Ukyo feels her anger building. "We had an agreement… he had to apologize to her or I was going to kick him out. What business is it of yours anyways?"

"He's my friend… and I'd like him to be more. He's so perfect for me… I don't mind his curse at all… I like pigs…" The giant pig nods his head up and down after hearing his owners' words of praise. "He was the only one to defeat my pride and joy here…"

"Well, I don't mind his curse either." Ukyo blushes. 'Am I going to have to confess that I have some feelings for him in front of this total stranger? I hate it when people come out of the woodwork… I swear Nerima is a strange place…'

"I'm umm… taking care of him. I brought him back to health- so why would I send him in there to get beat up and possibly killed on purpose? Tell me that!"

Not believing the chef standing in front of her, Akiri turns and looks at Ryoga. "Is this true? Has she been helping you out?"

Weakly, Ryoga nods his head. 'Why me… why'd she have to stop in now? She's nice and all… but I've gotten to know Ukyo a lot lately… and I think I like her…'

"I guess I'll have to believe you… but…" The long silence after the last statement leaves Ukyo wondering what will happen next. "I challenge you to a fight!"

Going into a defensive posture, Ukyo thinks for a moment about what to say- and what to do… and comes to a conclusion. "My name is Ukyo… and I accept. He's made some mistakes… but I asked him to go there… so I guess I'm to blame for some of this. I'll be making things right… I don't need outside help…"

Mounting her pig, Akiri grins. "Fine… we'll duel for Ryoga. I will not be defeated again!"

Ukyo thinks about what's about to happen. 'Great, another duel… I want to win this one. But I need to get Ryoga fixed up... I can't waste time on this… I'll worry about my personal feelings later. First...'

"Are you ready?"

"Whenever you are… but you should know one thing…" A small grin forms on Ukyo's face.

"And what's that?" Akiri asks with a huff.

"My specialty is pork…"

In the space of a few seconds, Ukyo pulls out her portable grill and turns it on. "Now… who's ready for some bacon?"

The giant sumo pig starts putting the pieces together… the grill with the flame going… the spatula… and hearing about pork and bacon… there was only one thing to do.

"What are you doing?" Akiri cries as her pig does a sudden about face and starts running away, squealing in fear.

Ryoga looks up at Ukyo in amazement and a little fear.

"Good it worked." Ukyo says while wiping her brow.

"What worked?" Ryoga asked nervously.

"I stopped cooking pork when I found out about your curse... but they didn't know that." She replies with a giggle. "I was worried for a moment there… when the pig didn't take off right away."

Ryoga looks at her in amazement. "You mean... you weren't going to..."

She shook her head and then helped him up. "Not a chance, now lets get you inside sugar… it's been a rough day for both of us."

"STOP! I said stop Kat-suni-shi-ki!" The girl could be heard yelling as the pig ran away with her being bounced around on his large back.

The pair slowly make their way back to Ukyo's place, stopping several times for a moments' rest. After what feels like an eternity to Ryoga, he's back in her room.

"We're back…"

"And not a moment too soon… I'm running out of strength. Whew…" Ukyo wipes her brow. "I need a nap…"

"I think that doctor gave me some kind of pain killer… I'm feeling a little drowsy." Ryoga says as he stumbles towards the center of the room.

"Be careful…" Ukyo's fears are unfounded, though, as the lost boy makes it to the futon and crawls inside. "I'm going to rest up here… it's been one crazy day. Heh… or is it a normal day for Nerima?"

The chef grins. "Hmm… good point. I'll be right back…"

Ryoga watches the young woman go into the bathroom and return shortly with a damp washcloth.

Ukyo looks down at her 'patient'. "You're face… it's still dirty…"

"Oh…"

Wiping the dirt and smudges off of Ryoga's face, Ukyo cannot help but feel compassionate and nurturing inside. 'I did get him into this… so I want to help him recover… again…'

"You umm… make a great… n-nurse…" Ryoga says with a slight blush. "I could umm… get used to this…"

"Oh, really?" Ukyo says with a sly grin. "Well… to tell you the truth… I kinda like it… I've never had a chance to do this before…" She looks down at her hand and what she's doing… and realizes that there may be more to this then just helping out an injured friend.

'Why is my heart beating so fast? All I'm doing is just wiping his forehead and his face off…'

"Thanks Ukyo… for everything…"

"Oh it's no…" Stifling a yawn, the chef continues. "No problem."

"If you're tired, um…" Ryoga stops, realizing his suggestion may be taken the wrong way.

"Like I said… I could use a nap…" Nervously, the young woman looks down at the futon and tries to make a decision. 'Who's going to know? I'm too tired to go all the way outside and drag in the other one… it was warm with him in it last night…'

A red blush crawls across Ukyo's face as she continues to ponder what to do.

"Move…"

"Huh?"

"Ryoga… move over…"

The warmth on Ukyo's face becomes even more visible to Ryoga… he moves over and watches her as she gets under the covers.

Lying her head back on the pillow, Ukyo notices his eyes watching her. "W-what are you staring at?" She says with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"N-nothing…"

Diverting the conversation, Ukyo relays something she had been meaning to say since they got back. "I'll make something for us to eat after I get up…"

"Okay… that sounds good…" The closeness of the brunette next to him keeps Ryoga's thoughts on her… and his answers short. 'She's next to me again… and this time it's because she wanted to be… she must like being with me, I think…'

It isn't long before Ukyo fall asleep, tired but also comfortable with her current position- no nervousness keeping her awake. Ryoga watches her for a little while before taking a nap himself, admiring her hair, her face, and her lips…

'She's pretty… I hope I get a chance to know her better…'

Several hours pass and Ukyo wakes up. After looking at a nearby clock, she becomes slightly panicked. 'It's almost opening time and I'm not ready!'

Ukyo slips out of the futon and heads downstairs to prep her restaurant for business. It isn't long before the customers are at the door, awaiting entrance. With some quick moves and quick thinking, the young chef has everything set up and ready to go. A small crowd enters as soon as the door opens and the sign is flipped to open…

"We were waiting…" A few customers say as they enter.

Ukyo immediately apologizes and bows. "Sorry about that… I've had a lot of things to take care of and I'm running a little late…"

"No problem…" One of the female customers says before taking a look around. "Where's that helper of yours… the one with the bandana?"

"Oh… he's resting. He got injured today and he'll be out for a few days…" Ukyo says sadly.

"Well, I hope he's back soon. He was very helpful…"

That comment brings a smile to Ukyo's face. "Yeah…"

The dinner rush begins and Ukyo does her normal routine, cooking and serving- but as she heard earlier, her customers have taken notice of her helper and like his work. 'I'm glad they like him…'

Upstairs, the still sleeping Ryoga hears all the activity downstairs and starts dreaming of food…

"That smells good…" The lost boy mumbles to himself as the smells of the restaurant start making their way upstairs.

"Hungry?" A gentle nudge causes Ryoga to wake up and rub his eyes.

"Ukyo?"

"The one and only. Eat up… you must be starving…" The chef says as she places the plate next to him. "It's about time for me to close up, so eat up and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Ryoga, his hunger peaking, quickly reaches for the plate and takes the Okonomiyaki off of it. 'Her cooking is so good… a man could learn to like eating like this all time…'

When Ukyo does return several minutes later, she finds the plate empty and Ryoga back under the covers.

"So, how are you feeling?"

Ryoga stretches his arms out. "I'm still a little sore… but other then that, I'm fine. Must be the quality nurse I have…"

That comment causes Ukyo to blush. "Yeah, umm… I'm doing my best…"

"I want to help you out tomorrow… I can't stay in bed all day. Besides, it's not good for the muscles…"

"Okay… people were asking about you today. You've got a good reputation in the restaurant…" Ukyo says with pride, knowing that her training and his efforts paid off with customer satisfaction.

"Good… I'm glad I could help…"

"I'm going to get ready for bed… I'll be back in a few minutes…"

The brunette heads outside and collects her now dry futon and brings it inside, placing it on the floor not too far away from Ryoga. She then grabs some clothes from one of her drawers and heads into the bathroom.

After brushing her teeth and changing into a more comfortable outfit- shirt and sweatpants, Ukyo returns and sits down on her futon. Ryoga watches her and deep down inside, is slightly disappointed that she's not going to be with him.

"See you in the morning… good night, Ryoga."

"Good night, Ukyo…"

The two teens go to sleep right away, though their rest is interrupted by bad dreams in both cases. Getting beaten up… and unable to stop it. Seeing this happen… and being unable to stop it- these ideas plague both teens minds as the memories from this morning surface subconsciously. The two restless teens roll around and eventually end up in the middle of the floor, each away from their respective futon but within reach of the other.

The cold of the night soon affects both bodies… and they instinctively reach for the nearby warmth, the comfort both physically and emotionally.

To be continued in Chapter 12: The Amazons

The next chapter will focus more on Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne… keep an eye out for more of my work, including new Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Neon Genesis Evangelion chapters…


	12. Chapter 12: The Amazons

Chapter 12: The Amazons

Part A

Sunday morning

After a dream-filled night, Ukyo wakes up… and nearly gasps. 'What am I doing in the middle of the floor? Ryoga's right in front of me… and we're holding each other! How'd this happen?'

Ryoga's eyes slowly open and he has a similar reaction. 'What happened? I'm holding her… and she's staring at me, blushing…'

"G-good morning, Ryoga…" Ukyo says nervously.

"Ummm… morning…" Ryoga says while trying not to blush himself.

Both teens want to say something more… and pull away… but something inside keeps them together and exchanging silent glances.

"Soo… did you sleep well?" Ukyo says, trying to make some small talk.

"Y-yeah… I was umm… having a nightmare… and then it went away… I woke up and here we are…"

"Same here. Ryoga, umm…" At a loss for words, Ukyo can say no more.

Gulping, Ryoga decides to say something both want to say… but are hesitant to do.

"Ukyo… I think umm… we n-need each other… I've never done this before… or had these um… feelings like this…"

Looking into her heart… and what she's been feeling lately, the young chef agrees with a nod. 'He's right… let's see if we can make this work. I've never experienced this feeling before… it's more then infatuation… this could actually be fun to try and figure out…'

"I think you're right, sugar… this sure is a lot different then the beginning, isn't it?"

Ryoga's confused. "Huh? The beginning?"

"You know, when we first met. You fought against me… and then Ran-chan had to use MY chest to stun you…"

"Umm… yeah… your figure um… yeah… kinda stopped me in my tracks." Ryoga admits, knowing that the young woman in front of him has grown even more beautiful with the passage of time.

Ukyo continues reminiscing. "And then you ended up being taken care of in the nurses' office by Akane… and me by Ranma… what a turn around, huh?"

"Yeah, we've both done a 180 from that point… we've worked together a lot… to try and break those other two up… I guess we're two of a kind…" Ryoga admits with a grin.

"Yeah… and we ended up as a couple in that cave… and got harassed by those ghosts…"

"Or on Toma's Island… you had that dress… wow…" A trickle of blood from Ryoga's nose is quickly wiped away as the lost boy tries to think of something else besides Ukyo's curves.

Ukyo grins. "You saved me… but all you remember is that pink dress. I don't believe I was wearing something like that… it was so… revealing…"

"You umm… were… but anyways… what do we do from here? Your mom thinks we're boyfriend and girlfriend… are we?"

Pausing for a moment, Ukyo prepares to utter words. "Hmm. I guess so… we haven't gone on any dates yet… but we have been spending a lot of time together…"

For the first time in a while, Ryoga feels happiness and contentment inside. "I guess it was a good thing I got beat up… or else we wouldn't be talking like this."

Ukyo's mood turns after hearing this. "Speaking of that… I can understand why'd she be angry at you… but she didn't have to go for your life. I think you deserve an apology…"

"Umm… sure… but I don't want to go over there again. Whatever technique she was using… it was damn good…" Ryoga admits with some fear.

Hearing that, the brunette tries to reassure her friend. "I'll go and see if Ran-chan got everything calmed down… and then we'll take it from there. I won't put you in danger again…"

"Okay… for you… and only if it's safe. Who knew she could be that powerful?"

"Yeah…" Ukyo thinks about that for a moment. 'I don't know if she knew techniques like that when we fought… but if she did, I don't know if I would've won, even if I wanted to…'

Slowly, Ukyo releases her arms and sits up. Ryoga watches as she gets on her feet and heads over towards the bathroom…

"Why don't you wait here… I'll take a quick shower and then see what's going on. I know that Akane always goes jogging on Sunday mornings… so I'll talk to her and get everything straightened out, okay?"

"Sure… and ummm… thanks a lot…"

"No problem…" Ukyo says before opening the bathroom door.

While Ukyo gets ready to meet with Akane, over at the Tendo house, Akane is already awake and doing her morning stretches. Dressed in her jogging outfit, she prepares to head out on her run when a familiar voice calls to her…

"Hey… wait up!"

Akane turns around and finds Ranma standing right behind her. "You want to come with me?"

"Of course… you don't mind, do yah?"

A smile forms on the youngest Tendo's face. "Ranma… that'd be nice…"

"I wanted to um…" Ranma pauses to remember some advice his mother gave him this morning. 'Spend time together in activities that you like to do together… talk to her, especially after what happened yesterday, and make sure that she's okay.'

"Ahem…" Clearing his throat, Ranma continues. "Spend time with you… and maybe later, you can help me out…"

"Oh yeah… your test. I promised I would…" A sly grin forms on Akane's face. "You and I are going to have a marathon study session… so you better be ready. You told me that you wanted a partner that was good in the art, right?"

"Yeah…" A nodding Ranma agrees.

Akane says nothing but walks closer and gets into Ranma's face. "And I want a partner that's good in school…"

The two exchange glances and blush.

"You do? I didn't know that…" Ranma admits.

"Martial arts isn't everything, you know… there's ummm… other important things…" Akane says while trying to not turn away from embarrassment. 'I'm telling him… my most intimate secrets… and so is he… I want him to trust me, like I trust him.'

The young woman closes her eyes… and then feels Ranma's body pressing against her… his hands gently running across her back.

"I know…" The Saotome Heir says in a whisper. "Let's go…"

Full of new energy, Akane follows Ranma's lead as he starts jogging away, The two jog through the streets of Nerima, getting a good workout in the cool morning air. After entering a nearby park, Akane tugs on Ranma's shirt.

"Let's take a break…"

"Sure thing… you kept up with me the whole time…" He says while sitting down on a bench.

"Ranma, that was more running then jogging…" Akane says while trying to catch her breath.

"Hey, I'm just trying to build up some endurance with yah…" Ranma replies back while stretching out. "Sit down and catch your breath…"

Part of her is angry at the fact that she's being pushed to her limit… and is being taunted by her fiancée… but she takes a glance at him and can see no malice on his face. 'Old habits die hard I guess…'

While Akane's glancing at Ranma, he cannot help but notice the deep breaths that she's taking… and how her chest is contracting and expanding. 'God, she looks good…'

"Ranma… Ranma…" Akane says to the spaced-out Ranma, whose eyes are focused on her chest. After getting no response, she snaps her fingers in front of the martial artist. She lies back on the bench and smiles. 'Maybe I should keep doing this on purpose… he's almost… entranced by the way I look. I can be feminine, flirty, sexy… and I guess this proves it. He was definitely worth fighting for… he appreciates me… and I appreciate him.'

"Tomboy to Ranma…" Akane says with a smirk on her face.

"Huh? Oh, what is it?" Ranma asks while snapping out of his "fog".

"I'm ready to head back… we can eat breakfast and then talk. Then it's time to study, study…"

"Yeah, yeah…" Ranma says, not really thrilled about that… but he knows she's right. 'I wanna do good for her… and for me. I gotta stick this school thing out…'

"I'll take the lead this time…" Akane says while getting on her feet. "Let's go!"

Ranma blinks… and Akane's out of sight. 'Damn, she's fast… was she just pretending to be tired? To tease me? I wonder…'

Sprinting off after his fiancée, Ranma soon catches up to the young woman and they two race back towards the Tendo house, passing down the familiar streets of Nerima, taking turn after turn without stopping. When they pass in front of one of the café's, however, a voice calls out to them.

"Hey, hold on a second you two!"

Akane and Ranma stop and look up… and realize where they're at. "Uc-chan's Café" Ranma says softly to himself.

"That's right… good morning Ran-chan, Akane…" Ukyo steps out onto the street. "I knew you'd both be heading by here at some point this morning."

"But how did you know my jogging route?" A curious Akane asks.

"You go the same way every time… I've known that for a long time… back from the old days when I was fighting you for Ranma. You're a creature of habit when it comes to your route…"

Akane shrugs her shoulders. "I guess so…"

"So how yah doing this morning, Uc-chan?"

Ukyo smiles. "Pretty good… I had some umm… interesting stuff happen earlier… but I need to take care of something else before I open for business later…"

"Oh…" Is about all Ranma can say back, not having a clue what she's taking about.

Turning her attention to the other part of the pair, Ukyo decides to find out what kind of mindset Akane's in this morning. "You seem to be back to normal, Akane…"

After taking a quick glance at Ranma, Akane looks at Ukyo. "Yeah… Ranma helped me out last night… I know I did some horrible things… but it was that damn suit… it had control…" She says the last part while lowering her head in shame.

Wanting more information, Ukyo presses on with her questions. "The suit? Did it possess you or something?"

"I guess you could say that… it ummm… took all my negative emotions and amplified them… I even hurt… Kasumi…" Akane says softly while trying to hold back tears.

Ranma places his hands on Akane's shoulders and gently massages them. "But I helped her out… and everyone's okay… I'm glad my tomboy is back…"

Akane tries her best to smile. "Ranma… thank you…"

'I'm glad to hear that she's okay… what happened could've split them up… and then my part of the fight would've been wasted. He's really getting friendly with her, even in public. That's a good sign…' Ukyo lets the two enjoy the moment before speaking again. "If you don't mind, Ranma… your sister needs to borrow your tomboy for some girl talk…"

Seeing no problem with that, Ranma says: "Sure…"

Akane protests. "Ranma's the only one that gets to call me that, Ukyo."

"Sorry… I was just kidding. I have something important to ask you, Akane."

"Go ahead… I'll meet you back at da house…" Ranma says with a nod.

"Okay, tell Kasumi to hold breakfast until I get back then." Akane says before waving at Ranma. "I'll be back as soon as I can… and then it's study time!" She says that last part with a grin, causing Ranma to sigh aloud.

"That's right… you have a test, right? Better hit the books, brother…" Ukyo says with a wink, adding to the teasing Akane just did.

"I'll talk to you later, Ukyo…" Ranma says with a sigh before heading out. Akane walks inside the café and takes a seat at the main seating area in front of grill.

"Sooo… what did you want to talk about?"

"Well… you have to promise not to yell first." Ukyo says cautiously.

That gets Akane's attention right away. "Yell? Why would I do that?"

Standing firm on that point, Ukyo again makes her request. "Promise me…"

A soft sigh escapes Akane's lips. "Fine… I promise not to yell. You better tell me what's going on here…"

"For starters, I'm… I'm dating Ryoga…" Ukyo says nervously before blushing.

"WHAT?" Is the unrestrained response back from Akane. "You and Ryoga?"

"Shhh! I told you not to yell!"

"When did this happen? I can't believe that you're going out with that… that… pervert!" Akane says while still trying to make sense of it all.

Baring the truth seems to be the best way to answer that question… and Ukyo does so a moment later. "Actually… you're responsible."

"Me?"

"Yes, you… you tried to beat him up the first time…"

Akane nods her head and a grin forms on her face. "And he got away… and I didn't see him again until yesterday morning…"

Ukyo comes to the point. "Exactly! I had to take care of him and clean up after your mess… both times…"

Akane tries to hold her emotions in check. "Hold on a second… he deserved that. Do you know what he was doing to me? What he saw… I haven't even let Ranma…" Akane stops speaking and begins to blush. "Ahem. Ranma hasn't seen me like that… and Ryoga even made him promise not to tell me…"

The brunette chef sighs aloud. "Yes… I know all about that. Your sister filled me in on all the details. He told me about it, too… but I've forgiven him. He's helped me out here… and umm… he's changed…"

Akane's face now sports a look of disbelief. "You don't say? Piggy had a change of heart?"

"Akane… you were right about before. He did deserve a good thrashing… but the last time, you nearly killed him. That's a little too far, even for the perverted stuff he did. He wasn't imitating the old man or anything like that…"

A smile forms on Akane's face after hearing that. "Good point…"

Seeing her chance, Ukyo brings up the main reason why she brought the youngest Tendo into her café. "I'm not asking you to forgive him for what he did… but I do think he deserves an apology for that near death experience. I know you weren't yourself… but that wouldn't have brought him back if he got crippled or died."

A silent Akane thinks about what Ukyo just said… and remembers how she hurt people yesterday. 'Ranma… Kasumi… and Ryoga… I hurt them all. The other two forgave me… but I didn't try and kill them… that damn suit! I nearly lost Ranma because of that!'

Taking a look at Ukyo's face, Akane can clearly see how serious she is about the request. 'She must really be into him for some reason… but whatever the case… she's my friend and Ranma's sister. I want to keep on good terms with her… and maybe I can give this a shot. Think calm thoughts, Akane…'

Making her decision, Akane nods her head. "Ahem. Okay… I'll do it. But only because you asked…"

Ukyo's mood instantly becomes upbeat and happy. "Great! Thank you so much!"

Shrugging her shoulders, Akane can only sigh. 'I guess there's someone for everyone… but maybe, just maybe he'll be good for her. She won't stand for it if he acts up…'

"I'll be right back…" With that, Ukyo backs away from the grill and heads upstairs. She finds Ryoga cowering under the blanket…

"I heard voices downstairs... is Akane here?" The Lost boy asks fearfully.

"Yes, sugar, she's here… and no, she's not going to pummel you. We had a little talk… and she's going to apologize."

Ryoga is surprised by that "Really?"

Ukyo takes his hand. "Come downstairs and let's get this over with, okay?"

"I guess umm… you're right. Now is a good a time as any…" Is the nervous reply back, despite the reassurance of her warm hand holding his.

The pair slowly head downstairs… with Ryoga fighting the urge to run nearly every step of the way. When the door slides open and Ukyo and Ryoga step forward, Akane immediately notices that the two are holding hands.

'I guess she does really like him… I know Ukyo wouldn't be doing that just for appearances… she's not that kind of girl…'

Upon seeing Akane, Ryoga's grip on Ukyo's hand tightens. He gulps and continues stepping forward until he's right in front of the grill, standing next to Ukyo.

"Okay… he's here, Akane…" Ukyo says while looking across the grill.

Akane tries not to get angry or yell… and takes a few deep breaths before speaking.

"I know you took advantage of me… but you… you didn't deserve what I did to you yesterday…"

"Really?"

Akane rolls her eyes. "Yes, really… you're very lucky that your girlfriend, Ukyo, is on your side. I'm her friend… so I agreed to this."

"Oh… okay." Is the soft reply from Ryoga.

"I'm sorry for nearly killing you yesterday. There's a line between a thrashing and life and death… and I went a little too far…" Akane says with a nod. "I wasn't myself…"

"Ummm… it's okay… I'm fine now. I've had a wonderful nurse for a while now…" Is the reply back before a red blush covers the lost boys' face.

Akane has an idea. "That's good… you do know who you're going out with, right?"

"Ukyo of course…"

Ukyo blushes and then Akane continues. "Ukyo SAOTOME… Ranma's sister. You better treat her right… you don't want Ranma on your back… or me…"

Ryoga shakes his head. "Umm… no… definitely not."

"Good."

"Thanks Akane… for that last part, too." Ukyo says before taking a bow.

"Anytime…" She says before standing up. Akane turns for the door. "See you later, Ukyo… I have to help Ranma study for that test…"

"Good luck with that… don't let him slack off…" Ukyo says jokingly.

Stopping at the doorway, Akane cannot help but smile. "Don't worry… he won't. I told him that I want someone that's good at school… he'll be up the challenge…"

"I'm sure he will be…" Ukyo says with a happy nod.

Ryoga says nothing as Akane opens the door and heads outside. He looks at Ukyo… and blushes. 'She's so strong… and beautiful. Ukyo set this up… for me… despite what I did to Akane…'

"Ryoga… you did good." Looking down, Ukyo notices that he's still holding her hand… and it doesn't seem like he wants to let go. "Let's get ready for business… are you up to helping me out?"

"Sure… of course… let's get ready for our late morning customers…" Ryoga says, getting into the spirit of things.

The chef and her assistant get the café ready for business while across town, Akane arrives home and finds Kasumi in the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" The oldest Tendo asks as her younger sister heads towards the refrigerator.

"I'm starving!" Akane says as she opens the door to the fridgerator.

"I saved you some miso soup and rice, it's in the front…"

"Thanks… I'll heat this up and then it's study time…" Is the happy reply back.

"I've never heard you sounding so happy about studying before… are you helping Ranma out today?" Kasumi asks, trying to figure out why Ranma was in Akane's room a few minutes ago.

"Yeah…" Akane says while setting up her breakfast and then putting it in the microwave. "He has to take the entrance exam… I guess he never took it when he enrolled…"

"That's unusual… I wonder how that happened?"

"I don't know, sis… but anyways, I have until Friday to help him pass this test or he could be held back or worse…"

"Oh… that's not good. I'm sure he's up to the challenge… and I bet he's ready to get started…" Kasumi says with a slight giggle.

"Why do you say that?" Akane says before pausing to take her food out of the microwave.

"He's waiting in your room… he had his books with him…"

The "old" Akane would be pissed off that he'd enter her room without asking… the young woman takes a deep breath and does her best to ignore the urge to yell or scream. "He's ready to study, huh? Hmm… he didn't seem that eager this morning…"

"Well… maybe he thought about it and decided to give it a shot. I know he wants to stay in school… despite his comments to the contrary sometimes."

Akane nods. "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. He'll be seeing this challenge through… guaranteed." A slight grin forms on Akane's face. "Let's just say that we have an agreement…"

"That's nice…" Kasumi says with a sincere smile, glad that her sister is being a positive influence on Ranma… and knowing that the opposite is true as well.

"Thanks for breakfast… I'm going to eat in my room and see what he's up to." Akane says while grabbing her tray of food.

"No problem. I'll let you know when lunch is ready…"

Akane nods and then takes her tray of food up to her room. When she opens the door, she finds Ranma sitting on the end of her bed reading a book…

"I was waitin' for yah…" Ranma says while putting the book down. "Nabiki was nice enough to give me a list of what subjects are covered on the exam… so I guess we use that as a guide, right?"

"Of course…" Akane says while putting her tray down on her desk. "Let me eat and then we'll get started…"

The young woman sits down and begins eating her breakfast. She's so hungry that she nearly misses the fact that Ranma is taking occasional glances at her while reading. 'He's staring at me again… hmm… I have to ask him a question then… but not until I'm done eating…'

"That smells good… Kasumi makes a good breakfast, don't she?" Ranma says, trying to make some small talk with Akane.

"Yeah… it's great…" Akane says happily. "It's perfect after this morning's run…"

That reminds Ranma of something that he's been meaning to ask. "Speaking of that, what did Ukyo want with yah? You were gone for a while…"

"I just had to help tie up some loose ends there, that's all… and help your sister out a little bit…"

"With Ryoga, right? My mom mentioned that Ukyo apparently is going out with him or somethin'… I talked to her before you came in. She sounded so happy about it…"

"Ranma… as long as she's happy… then I'm not going to saying anything…" Akane says, still feeling a little uncomfortable talking about Ryoga.

"Who would've ever thought… those two…"

"Ranma… I think people could've said the same thing about us…"

"Heh. True… but you and I came around." Ranma grins. "I've been in your room for how long now… and you still haven't thrown me out…"

Akane rolls her eyes. "Not funny, Ranma. I…" A red blush forms on Akane's face. "I don't mind… as long as you umm… never mind. Let me finish eating…"

'I wonder what she was gonna say next? I better let her eat… and then it's study time. With someone as smart as Akane, I should have no problem.' Ranma thinks while wisely staying silent.

Relieved by the break in conversation, Akane finishes her breakfast and slouches back into her chair. "That was good…"

"I'm sure it was… by the way you were chowing that down… and you talk about me eating fast…" is the reply back from Ranma with a sly chuckle.

"I was hungry!" Akane protests. "Anyways… I'll be right back. I'm going to bring the tray back downstairs…"

"Okay… I'll be waitin' for yah…"

Akane stands up and takes her tray into her hands. She walks towards the door to her room and then turns around just before reaching it.

"Ranma, I want you to think about something and answer me when I come back."

A curious Ranma asks: "What's that?"

"I want you to answer this- am I a distraction for you? I saw you watching me while I was eating…" With that being said, Akane leaves the room. Ranma thinks about his answer.

'She's good… she caught me looking at her. I don't know what it is lately… whatever she's wearing, I can't help but staring at her… her legs, her hips, her breasts…'

Akane returns shortly and finds a red-faced Ranma staring off into space. She doesn't even see him react to her sitting down on the bed next to him.

"Ranma…" Akane snaps her fingers in front of the young martial artist. "Hey, no sleeping!"

"Huh? Oh… I wasn't sleeping…" Ranma turns and looks at Akane. "I got an answer for yah… but then I got one question for you…"

After thinking about that for a moment, Akane says: "Fair enough. Tell me your answer, Ranma."

"Ever since you and I umm… got closer… I can't umm… stop looking at yah. It don't matter what you're wearing… I think you look nice…"

Akane blushes and takes Ranma's hand. "Thanks, Ranma… I know it took a lot for you to say that. I ummm… don't mind being a distraction for you. You're a lot more open with me… even if you're a little nervous…"

Noticing that Akane is now blushing as well, Ranma cannot help but say: "Like you are now…"

"Yeah…"

"That's what I was gonna ask… I distract you a lot, right? You're blushing right now… and those kisses in the alley on the way to school…"

Akane is silent but leans her head against his arm. "You do…" she says softly. "I like it when you umm… show off your muscles… like in that shirt you're wearing now…"

"Oh…"

"Yeah… maybe I'm just a little better at not showing how distracted I am…"

Ranma grins. "Maybe… but then the question is, what do we do now?"

"I don't know… it gets worse everyday… and I even distract you on purpose…" Akane says, admitting one of her secrets aloud.

A small smile forms on Ranma's face. "I figured that… you used ta be so conservative about showing your body off… and now you're teasing me sometimes. Not like that's a bad thing…"

"It's not?"

"Naw…" Ranma takes a glance at Akane and then pulls the young woman into a hug. "I guess we'll have ta adapt to all these distractions from each other…"

Akane wraps her arms around Ranma and rests her body against his. "Yeah… but it'll be fun…"

"Yeah… that's why I like coming to visit yah here. You seem more open wit' me in your room then anywhere else…"

'I didn't realize that… but Ranma's right. I guess I feel really comfortable in this room… and being in private with him…'

"That's a good point Ranma… but…" Pulling away, Akane nods at the stack of textbooks. "We've got something else to work on. Let's get started… I want you to be ready…"

Sighing aloud, Ranma cannot help but consign himself to his fate. "Okay… but after each subject, I wanna take a break…"

Akane agrees with that idea. "That's fine…"

"And one more thing… I wanna hear somethin' about you… like how you got so good at all those sports. It certainly ummm… keeps you in shape…"

"Deal. A story for a story- we'll take turns." Akane says before standing up. "Let me get my book and we'll get started…"

After getting all of their "issues" resolved for the moment, Akane and Ranma hit the books and begin studying. Both teens learning is two-fold from this study session… they not only learn the school material but about each other more and more…

Three subjects later, there's a knock on the door. A curious Akane walks over to the door and is surprised at who she finds standing there…

"Sorry to bother you…" The young man says with a bow.

"Mousse? This is a surprise…" Akane says while wondering inside why he was there.

"Hey, come on in here…" Ranma says after hearing that familiar voice.

Akane steps aside and let's Mousse inside. He walks over to Ranma and starts talking with him…

"I guess it's time… I just hope that my training with you will be enough…"

"Remember what I told yah earlier in the week and you'll be fine. Good luck to yah…" Ranma says before extending his hand out.

Mousse shakes Ranma's hand and then turns around and heads for the door. "Sorry to both you, Akane…"

"Don't worry about it… Ranma and I were taking a break anyway. It's time for your fight, right?"

"Yes…"

"Good luck… and let us know how it turns out." The young Amazon nods politely before saying "Thank you".

A few moments later, Mousse leaves the room and heads out of the Tendo home. Stealthily, he makes his way back to the Cat Café and grabs a few articles of clothing before making his way to the battle sight, a park in outskirts of Nerima.

Shampoo watches the masked figure come into sight and prepares herself for the fight. Cologne cannot help but chuckle at her great-granddaughter's nervousness.

"Something wrong, child? You're always so confident…"

The young Amazon woman blushes. "Stranger is very distracting… be hard to fight…"

Cologne gently taps her great-granddaughter on the head with her staff. "Now, now… you can't lose on purpose- this is a real fight you know…"

"Yes, Shampoo know that…" is the reply before the approach stranger comes within audio range. Taking a few deep breathes, Shampoo tries to calm herself down. Unwittingly, though… she ends up causing her opponent to be somewhat distracted, though with the mask on, she cannot see the blush on his face.

'Shampoo looks so good… but why is she breathing heavily like that? Her chest is… distracting me…' is the thought in Mousse's mind before clearing his throat. "I'm here, as promised… shall we begin?"

Shampoo bows and then the masked Mousse follows suit.

"Shampoo ready…"

Cologne cackles aloud, knowing that Shampoo still has no idea who's she fighting… or why this fight is happening in the first place. "Begin!"

Part B

Taking a battle stance, Mousse points at Shampoo. "I will win… and I'll do it without hurting you…"

"You no hurt Shampoo… and win?" a puzzled Shampoo utters while taking a glance at Cologne. "Is this true, great-grandmother?"

The Amazon leader nods her head. "Yes… you can hurt him all you like… but he has to get you to surrender without hurting you… otherwise, he loses…"

Shampoo grins. "Stranger have big challenge ahead…"

"I know… but I know how to win…"

"Hmmph. We'll see…" Shampoo says defiantly.

In what would be a blur to most observes, Shampoo and Mousse go at it. Shampoo tries kicking and punching her challenger… who ends up dodging her attacks…

"You very fast… but no one dodge Shampoo forever…"

The young woman resumes her attack and Mousse prepares to strike. He pulls out a yo-yo and shoots out after dodging a kick, tying her legs together and causing her to fall to the ground face first.

"Hey! You use trick of Mousse's…."

"Whatever it takes to win…" is the reply back from the masked stranger, who reaches into his cloak. Before he can pull out what he needs, however, Shampoo breaks the string and gets back on her feet.

'Damn… I wasn't fast enough…' Mousse thinks as he backs off and plans his next strategy. 'Maybe if I lure in closer… and let her hit me a little, I can try and catch her off guard…'

On purpose, Mousse slows his responses as Shampoo goes back on the attack, being sure to give her best and not disappoint her great-grandmother. She lands several blows and Mousse feels some of his strength leave him as she lands several punches and kicks…

'Oww… I hope this is worth it…' Mousse thinks before preparing to make his move. He pretends to be wounded and limps back under the flurry of attacks until he's right in front of a nearby tree. Shampoo pulls back for another punch… and then the masked man quickly pulls away, making her hit the tree…

"OWWW!"

Pulling out some more rope, Mousse mutters under his breath: "There's no rule saying that you can't hurt yourself…"

The young Amazon strains to free her hand while Mousse takes this opportunity to ties her to the tree, bounding her legs, torso, and loose hand to the tree…

"Hi-yah! Shampoo all tied up…" the purple haired woman mutters to herself as she tries to free her stuck hand- that being her only chance of escape.

"You're mine, Shampoo…" The masked man says before moving in for the "Kill"…

A sudden movement causes Mousse to go on guard… Shampoo has freed her hand and is trying to punch him. He barely dodges the punch… but his mask is hit and falls to the ground. Shampoo's eyes become the size of saucers upon realizing who she's fighting…

"Mousse? Is that you?"

A small grin forms on the Amazon males' face. "You bet…"

Not believing her eyes, Shampoo protests. "You not blind? Impossible… Mousse no see without glasses!"

Taking out another rope, Mousse quickly ties Shampoo's free hand to the tree. "You're mine now… and I yes, I see you just fine…"

Wriggling as best she can, Shampoo desperately tries to escape. "This some kind of dream… Shampoo can't lose! Not to blind duck boy!"

"Time to pay for that… and for all the comments you've made about me over the years…" Mousse says as ominously as possible, in order to scare Shampoo even more.

Genuinely frightened, her desperate struggles increase as Mousse creeps closer. "What you do to me?"

"You'll see… it's payback time…"

Cologne wonders what the young Amazon male is up to here… 'He's not going to break the rules and hurt her, is he? She has insulted him a lot in the past… but I thought he was going to try and win her fair and square…'

Sweat forms on Shampoo's face as Mousse moves to stand in front of her. She cringes and closes her eyes, preparing to get assaulted by the young man, who appears to be bent on revenge.

"Here it comes!" is the battle cry before the attack is made. Cologne closes her eyes as well, not wanting to see the results of the attack.

A most unusual and unexpected sound fills the air a moment later. Cologne opens one eye… and then the other… and is shocked. 'Is he doing… what I think he's doing?'

"Attack of 1000 feathers…"

"No, no… stop!" the young Amazon woman cries out, her gut beginning to hurt from all the laughing she's doing as a result of the attack.

The attack is not lessened, not even for a moment. Mousse continues his attack, careful not to hurt her in any way. He tickles her everywhere- under her arms, her feet, her face, beneath her ears… anywhere a person could be tickled. She screams and laughs… and after another twenty seconds of "Torture", she finally calls out for him to stop.

'She gave up… I won the challenge. Not because I was stronger or faster… but because I outsmarted her…' a very satisfied Mousse thinks as he slows his attack and eventually stops.

"You surrender?"

"Yes… Shampoo can take no more of this tickling… stomach hurt too too much…"

Curious about what she just saw, Cologne cannot help but ask: "Most clever young man… how did you come up with that attack?"

"Shampoo want to know, too…" the young woman chimes in. "How you come up with tickle attack?"

"You wouldn't believe it… but your OLD fiancée is to blame…" is the response back.

"RANMA?" Shampoo cannot believe her ears. "Ranma help Mousse?"

"He wasn't the only one… let me tell you both what happened…" Mousse says before telling the story…

(Flashback to several days ago, at the Tendo house)

"I'm… sorry. Your mother… gave me a gift…" The young Amazon man says while taking a bow.

"Ranma… what does he mean?" Akane asks, wondering what Nodoka could've given the young man.

Taking a closer look, Ranma notices something out of the ordinary. "I dunno… but wait… where's your glasses?"

"I don't need them… your mother referred me to some kind of specialist in Tokyo… and I had surgery. Now I can see!" is the happy response back. "I'm sorry for trying to beat you up before…"

"Oh, it's no problem…" Ranma says with a grin. "I guess mom's really good at patchin' things together…"

Surprised, Mousse cannot help but ask: "Really? You forgive me?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Ranma says: "It's water under the bridge…"

"Great!" Mousse says happily.

Akane looks at Ranma and cannot help but smile. 'He's acting really mature here… and I guess I shouldn't judge his mom too much for helping us… she's got a real big heart…'

"Now that we're friends… I umm… have a favor to ask…"

"What's that?" a curious Ranma asks.

"I need help… beating Shampoo. We've got a fight on Sunday… and I need to beat her without hurting her…"

"That's an interestin' challenge… hmm." Ranma takes a few moments to think about it… and soon has an answer back.

"Look Mousse... the best thing I can teach ya is to just try something- if it works great. If not, then try something else. Ya know all those times you and Ryoga have jumped me an' stuff."

"Um... yea... though..." Mousse was rather unnerved about Ranma just casually mentioning the way he'd tried to kill him in the past.

"Well, when somethin' happens I just try something else. Pops has never stuck to one trainin' technique at a time. Anything goes is all 'bout things changin', ya know."

"I think so..."

"Good, so ya see, against different people ya gotta use different stuff. Like you wouldn't fight Shampoo the same way ya fight me."

Mousse could not help but blink at that.

"So you've got to come up with somethin' new. Keep 'em guessin' and the more you surprise 'em, the easier it is to win."

"So you mean all this time... you've just been trying to keep everyone guessing and trying as many things as you could to win?!"

"Yea, and so far its been workin'."

Mousse felt like throwing himself against a wall several times, but instead of doing that he only smiled. "Well, then lets see how this works then!"

Quickly the two started sparing, but unlike before where Ranma had been able to predict Mousse's attacks, the not-so-blind Amazon began to randomly change tactics- sometimes in the middle of an attack. A little while later, Ranma finds himself lying on the ground for the fourth time, smiling like a kid with a new toy…

"THAT PERFECT! Now, lets see how you like this!"

Off to the side Nabiki, who had walked outside to check on the noise, and Akane watched with bemused expressions on their faces. "Boys..." Akane said with a wry grin forming.

"Will be boys," Nabiki added with a grin of her own. The pair continue to watch the two martial artists practice…

It isn't long before Ranma decides to point out some other things that he'd been meaning to show the Amazon, should they ever become friends.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to use a sword!" Mousse shouted from where he had landed on his back, a Chinese broadsword at his neck.

"Naw, I said I don't rely on them, not that I can't use 'em. Ya see, if ya get too reliant on them, then they can hurt ya just as much as they can help ya."

Mousse looked up at Ranma in amazement. "You now, strangely enough that makes sense..."

"Yeah… but that's enough playing around. Let's figure out somethin' for yah to use against Shampoo… and then maybe we can practice some more."

"Sounds good…"

(End flashback)

"So that's what happened… very clever, Mousse. I was hoping that you'd have a creative solution to this…" is the exclamation from the elder Amazon.

"I owe Ranma's mother a debt as well… for allowing me to get this surgery. I feel like a new man!" Mousse exclaims happily.

"Mousse look different now…" Shampoo says, agreeing with that observation. "Not bad at all…"

Hearing Shampoo admit that out loud gives the young man hope. 'She does think I'm attractive… just like I thought she did.'

Before he lets her go, he looks her in the eyes and says: "I give up the fight if you can honestly say that you don't like me… the choice is YOURS. I don't want to force you into something that you don't want to do… and I'm sorry about what I did before. Shampoo, I never wanted you to hate me. What do you want to do?"

She can tell that his eyes are a lot clearer then they have been before. His sincere words touch her heart and despite some initial reservations, she makes a decision.

"Shampoo… will… give Mousse a chance. Shampoo beaten fair and square…" she says, with a tinge of disappointment in that last part.

Satisfied with the answer given, Mousse quickly unties Shampoo and gently pulls her stuck hand out of the tree. He notices how red her hand is and sighs aloud.

"I'm sorry about your hand…"

"Is okay… Shampoo's fault for missing you…"

"I'm glad you two got this resolved… I have something to tell you both on the way home…" Cologne says while motioning towards the street.

Both Amazons are curious about that and follows the matriarch back to the Cat Café. What they hear on the way is shocking, to say the least…

"No… you can't be serious…" Mousse says to Cologne after they enter the café.

"Yes… I didn't want to say anything until the fight was finished. I'd rather you two try and get along without me having to force it… given that decree from the tribal council."

"We never go back now…" Shampoo says softly while taking a seat at one of the tables. "No wonder you joke about Japanese men with Shampoo…"

"Yes… I was trying to get you to think about someone else… besides Ranma…" Cologne acknowledges. "I think I've succeeded…"

Mousse, who's on his way to the kitchen, blushes after hearing that. He takes a cloth and then heads into the freezer to grab some ice cubes. After making a quick ice pack, he returns to the dining room and places the makeshift ice pack on Shampoo's injured hand.

Liking what she's seeing in Mousse since the end of the fight, Shampoo cannot help but give him a "Thank you…" while adjusting the ice pack.

"Normally I'd be ready to perform a marriage ceremony right now… since Mousse won this battle. I'll be waiting for both of you to tell me when… I don't want to rush young love…"

Both of the young Amazons blush while Cologne uses her staff like a pogo stick and hops into the kitchen. "I'll take care of preparing the café for business and running it… for today. You two head upstairs and talk things out…"

Shampoo and Mousse exchange glances and then head upstairs. The two pair ways momentarily as Mousse changes out of the outfit he had been wearing and puts on a T-shirt and shorts, wanting to show off his body a little. He knocks on Shampoo's door and hears a call of "come in"…

"Okay…" he says while opening the door. He steps into the room and closes the door behind him. Shampoo, who's sitting on her bed, beckons him closer.

"Sit down next to Shampoo…"

Nervously, the young Amazon complies. "Sure…"

Shampoo watches as he walks over to her and sits down. She cannot help but be affected by the sight of his muscles once again… and how good he looks without his glasses.

Trying to break the ice and noticing Shampoo's silence, Mousse gently touches her uninjured hand. "You're blushing…"

"Yes… Shampoo look at Mousse in new way today."

"Same here… I get to see you with my own two eyes. I had to keep the glasses on when I was around you until today… to keep my secret safe."

Looking into his eyes, Shampoo asks: "You like how Shampoo look?"

Instead of answering that right away, Mousse takes a moment to look at her from her feet on up. 'Hmm… she's got really nice long legs… she looks great in this traditional Chinese outfit. Red is such a good color for her…'

Noticing that his eyes have stopped at her waist, the young woman cannot help but tease him a little. "Shampoo have nice hips, no?"

Wanting to be open as possible, Mousse gulps and then answers the question. "Yeah, umm… and your umm… behind is nice, too…"

The young woman, wanting to hear more, moves over a little and then looks up at her Amazon counterpart. "What about the rest of Shampoo's body? Is sexy, no?"

Slowly, the young man's eyes look down… and come across Shampoo's very curvy upper body. Being able to see her in all of her glory is a mixed blessing for Mousse… he weakly nods his head and then passes out- all of this stimulation being too much for him to handle at once.

Shampoo gently lowers the young man onto her bed. "Oh no… Mousse pass out. Maybe he still not used to seeing Shampoo with his own eyes yet…"

Disappointed that she didn't get to talk with him more and resolve certain issues that were on her mind, Shampoo starts thinking about a new plan of action…

About an hour later, Mousse slowly regains consciousness. His eyes open and he moves his head, looking to the left first. 'I'm still in Shampoo's room…' When he turns his head to the right, however, he sees Shampoo staring at him with a large smile on her face.

"About time Mousse wake up…"

"Yeah, umm…" A blush forms on the young man's face. "Sorry…"

"Is okay… it give Shampoo time to think about situation." Pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts, the purple-haired woman decides to ask some important questions before fully committing herself to this relationship.

"You promise to treat Shampoo good… like when you take care of hand?"

"Of course…"

"Amazon law says wife not supposed to fall in love… and other things… but that no matter now…"

Mousse nervously chuckles. "True, true… but I wonder what's going to happen to us now? Do we start a new tribe?"

"Not a half bad idea…" a giggling Shampoo says back. "Shampoo no want to be alone… in foreign country…"

"Same here… but I have something to ask you. If you agree to this… will you stop calling me names? I never did like 'duck boy'…"

A soft sigh escapes Shampoo's lips. "Shampoo sorry for insulting Mousse before… will do that no more…"

Seeing the sincerity in her expression and in her words, Mousse lets the past be the past and tries to focus on the here and now.

"Okay…" he says, accepting the apology. "What do you want to do, Shampoo?"

Saying nothing, the young woman decides to answer his question by action instead. She gets on all fours and stands over Mousse… which causes the blanket to slip off of both of them, exposing what she's wearing… or lack thereof.

Trying not to freak out at the sight of the beautiful woman on top of him, he exclaims "Shampoo!" before closing his eyes. 'She's only wearing pink panties… and a pink lace bra… I guess that's a yes…'

"Shampoo say 'yes' to Mousse…"

"Umm… yeah…" the now red-faced Mousse says while trying to keep his eyes on her face.

Noticing that he's not looking at her chest or lower, Shampoo cannot help but say: "Is okay to look… Shampoo wearing sexy clothes just for Mousse…"

"I umm… noticed…" he says, slowly tilting his head down. Shampoo grins as he takes in the sight of her beautiful body… while not fainting. "You're… gorgeous!"

Flattered, Shampoo happily nods her head. "Thank you…"

Another observation comes to mind, and despite it being a somewhat perverted one, he says it anyways: "I didn't realize… that you got so… big…"

"Shampoo body mature a lot since arriving in Japan. Have woman's figure now…" she says proudly. "Am waiting for Mousse to do final move to make Shampoo his wife…"

"Now?" is the reply from Mousse, wondering why she's rushing him. 'She's not trying to seduce me, is she?'

"Shampoo want to snuggle with new _airen_ and get used to this…" she says, revealing why she wants him to make a move now.

Several seconds pass before Mousse submits himself to his fate. His hands slowly move up onto his new wife's arms… and up to her shoulders. Shampoo closes her eyes as his hands gently move down onto her chest, where a slight squeeze confirms the marriage. The last step is done… and now the two are husband and wife, in Amazon law.

"_Airen_!"

Mousse feels the urge to cry, having dreamed of hearing her say those words to him so long. 'It's not a dream… this woman is my wife- willingly.'

The woman above him is also very happy… even though the reality is different from the dreams that she's had since arriving in Japan- the end result is the same. 'Shampoo married to husband who care for her… best Shampoo can do in circumstances…'

Mousse moves his hands to her side and pulls her down onto his chest, allowing her to relax and snuggle against him. He reaches for the blanket and pulls it over both of them…

"Shampoo tired from fight…"

"Me too… you really wore me out. I had to really work to beat you…" Mousse admits. "But I'd expect no less from you…"

In response to that, his new wife cannot help blush. She sighs softly and then falls asleep, feeling comfortable in her new position. Mousse gently rubs her back and tries to relax, despite the distraction of the body warmth of his new wife. When he does fall asleep, his mind is only one thing… her.

Downstairs, Cologne waits on tables and in between making orders and serving customers, works on a letter which is later copied four more times. 'I think that these should go out to these five… especially to her, for her help with Mousse…'

The five invites are dropped off by Cologne personally to the five female recipients… each of whom has a different reaction. In all five cases, however, curiosity compels them to make plans to stop by the Cat Café tomorrow night…

To be continued in Chapter 13: Nerima in Transition

Thanks for reading… this chapter was done without any prereading, so forgive me if there's any errors that I may have missed. Feedback and comments are always appreciated, as well as favs on the DA site. My next project is Sailor Moon chapter 3 and NGE chapter 40, so it may be a while before I write more on this.


	13. Chapter 13: Nerima in Transition

Chapter 13: Nerima in Transition

Thanks to Steven/datexan and Luke/RanmaSaotome103 for prereading the first part of this chapter. The last third of part A was not preread before posting… but I think it's pretty good and I've got confidence in me. Happy Valentine's Day/Singles Awareness Day, depending on your persuasion. Part A posted on 2/14/08. Part B preread by Daniel/excel1992 and Luke/RanmaSaotome103 and posted on 3/3/08.

Part A

Monday morning arrives in Japan, bringing in new challenges for the residents therein. Ranma, Akane, and Nabiki walk together to school together- Nabiki joins the pair for the simple reason of wanting to get more information…

"What was in those letters you two got yesterday? It looked important…"

"I don't know… but Cologne wants both of us at the Cat Café tonight. All it said inside was that it was urgent that we meet…" Akane says after remembering the contents of the letter.

"It don't sound like a trap or anythin'… so I'm going. I wonder if it has anything to do with that fight yesterday…" Ranma says with a shrug.

Nabiki agrees. "It should be interesting regardless. There always seems to be something going on over there…"

"True…" Ranma says, remembering all of the "adventures" he's had near or around that restaurant.

The trio soon arrive at Furinkan High School and go their separate ways. On her way to class, Nabiki runs into Kuno in the hallway.

"So what did you think of the pictures I gave you?"

Kuno realizes who's talking to him… and begins blushing.

"Ahem. I'll be making my decision today, actually… everyone has already submitted their pictures."

"Okay… did I get a part in the play? You can tell me early… I promise not to tell…" Nabiki says with a wink.

"Your pictures were… quite telling…" Kuno says while trying not to stare at the young woman in front of him.

"And?"

"You're in… the lead role that is."

Upon hearing that, Nabiki feels happy inside. "Great, I know I'm perfect for that role. Money is my forte, after all… that's why I really thought about which pictures to send you- and I decided to bare my soul and show you some of better pictures."

"Umm… you certainly did…"

Noticing the time, Nabiki cuts the conversation short. "Well, it's almost time for class… we'd better get inside and take our seats."

Nabiki makes a quick exit and heads inside the classroom. Kuno looks around and quickly withdraws an envelope from his shirt.

'A quick peek…'

After looking around again, Kuno takes a quick look at the pictures inside. 'Truly she wanted this role… to give me pictures such as these. Such a beautiful body… I'll never gaze upon her the same way again. She's truly a goddess on earth.'

The school bell rings and students start rushing down the hallway. Kuno quickly puts the pictures away and heads into class. As the day progresses, Kuno is fortunate not to meet the distraction that is Nabiki's gaze… at least, until right before lunch when he makes the announcement about the play and the roles for it. Nabiki cannot help but notice him mumbling certain words to himself every time he looks at her.

'Something's not right here… I hope he's not reverting back to his old self again… better check on him later. Time to share the good news with Akane and Ranma…'

As soon as the lunch bell rings, Nabiki heads outside to find her sister and Ranma. She cannot help but notice a slight spring in her step. 'I'm… happy. I owe Kuno one for this… I'm sure this will be a perfect role for me…'

Nabiki isn't the only one to notice the change in her demeanor. As the middle Tendo approaches, Akane can see her sister's mood is definitely different then her usual for being at school.

'She looks happy… I think the pictures worked out perfectly.'

Akane exchanges a knowing glance with Ranma, who also realizes what happened. Ukyo notices this and wonders what's going on…

"It's Nabiki… how are you doing?" Ukyo says, addressing the arriving Tendo.

"I'm fine. I have some good news, actually…"

"Sit down, sis." Akane says, motioning at the ground in front of her. Nabiki sits down and opens up her lunch before explaining the good news to the three… Akane and Ranma already know what's happened, however, so they're silent and let Ukyo ask all the questions…

"Wow, it sounds to me like Kuno's turned over a new leaf. You said that he and Kodachi were on some kind of medicine before…"

"Yes… and now they aren't on it anymore. They've changed… and it makes me wonder why they were on it in the first place. I bet it has something to do with that goofball principal of ours…"

"That wouldn't surprise me…" a nodding Ranma says while finishing off his lunch.

"Me either…" Akane adds.

The three let Nabiki finish her lunch and think about something else that came up at lunch time… the fact that Ukyo got the same invitation to the Cat Café. After eating Nabiki excuses herself and goes back to her classroom.

A large grin forms on both Ranma and Akane's faces after she's out of sight… and Ukyo cannot help but notice that…

"Okay, what's up? Why are you two grinning like that?"

The two exchange glances and then nod their heads.

"I'll tell yah… but you gotta promise not to say anythin' to Nabiki…" Ranma says softly.

Agreeing to the terms, Ukyo has a desire to learn more. "Now you got me real curious… what did you two do?"

"Well… Ranma and I decided to get her back for all the pictures she's taken of us and sold since Ranma's arrival. Ranma picked up a spy camera and took some pictures of her in her room…" Akane says, recalling the incident in her mind.

"That sounds innocent enough… wait a second. You didn't take pictures of her naked, did you?"

Ranma blushes. "No, she wasn't naked… but there wasn't much clothing on her… or Akane…"

Akane's face also turns red. "I umm… went lingerie shopping at the place called "Naru's" with Nabiki to set this up… we bought some and then showed each other our purchases. That's what Ranma got pictures of… her in lingerie…"

"Hmm… I bet that wasn't all he took pictures of…" Ukyo says while nudging her brother. "Was it, Ranma?"

"I um… no comment…" a very embarrassed Ranma says while turning his face away from Ukyo's gaze. Akane also avoids looking at Ukyo, confirming the answer to the question. Ukyo softens her expression and asks a more serious question.

"You two are setting her up with Kuno, aren't you?"

"Yeah… he seems different ever since he went off of that medicine… and with him being the one choosing who gets what role in the senior class play, it was perfect timing. We didn't want to blackmail her or anything… but this works out nicely. She'll be so busy with that play and him that she won't have much time to play games with us…" Akane says with a happy nod.

"Or so we hope…" Ranma adds.

"I didn't know that you two could be so devious…" Ukyo says with a sly grin. "You really are two of a kind…"

Instead of being embarrassed or denying it, as he would've done in the past, Ranma speaks his true feelings. "That's right… this is my tomboy…"

"And this is my baka…" Akane says while placing her hand on Ranma's shoulder.

In the distance, the sound of bells fill the air, indicating the end of the lunch period. The three curtail their conversation and head back to class. On the way back Ukyo cannot help but think about her new brother and Akane. 'They do make a nice pair… now that they've gotten past the trust issue. I'm glad my choice is working out like this… and overcoming that problem with the suit just goes to show how close the two have gotten.'

The school day passes without incident and the students head back home. Ukyo hurries back to her café and sets her sign to "Closed"…

"You're going over to the Cat Café?" Ryoga asks after witness her change the sign over.

"Yeah… I'll be back later. I'll fill you in on what's going on when I get back…"

"Be careful, Ukyo…"

A smile forms on Ukyo's face because of Ryoga's concern for her welfare. "Trust me sugar, I will…"

While Ukyo changes and prepare to head out, Akane and Ranma arrive back at the Tendo home. The pair quickly change into street clothes and inform Kasumi again of the situation before heading to the Cat Café themselves…

When they arrive, the sign on the door says "Closed" and immediately the two wonder what's going on…

"Hey, wait up…" Ukyo calls out as she rounds the corner.

Both Ranma and Akane turn around and wait for the brunette chef to catch up to their position.

"I still in the dark about this meeting…" Ranma says with a sigh.

"Ran-chan, let's all go in together and find out…" Ukyo says before pushing the door open.

Akane is the first one to make a movement inside. "What have we got to lose?"

Ranma and Ukyo follow right behind her and enter the café. After closing the door behind her, Ukyo looks around and is awestruck.

"It's decorated like some kind of party's going to be happening here…"

Something about the decorations and streamers makes Ranma do a double-take. "Yeah… it kinda looks familiar… the way this is setup, though…"

Akane also has a flashback and remembers something important about this setup. "Hmm… yeah. It reminds me of the time…"

"When Shampoo nearly got Ranma to confess…" Cologne says while hopping into the room on her stick. "Yes… your memory is correct. It's also where Mousse…"

A voice from behind the counter continues the sentence. "Saved Ranma from being trapped into marrying Shampoo by placing the reversal jewel on Akane… though she quickly forgot her true feelings after it's removal…"

"Heh… I remember that… I got tripled teamed and ended up in the hospital…" Ranma says, recalling the events of the day in question.

Akane steps forward and addresses Mousse, who's in the back behind the counter.

"Yes… I remember that… though I was in denial about it for a while. I umm… owe you one…"

"It's no problem…" Mousse says as he steps out in the main room with a serving plate. "I am in debt to your fiancée and his mother for the gift of sight… which helped me to victory yesterday…"

"Ranma and Akane told me about that fight… so you did win…" Ukyo says as she takes notice of the formal outfit the male Amazon is wearing. "Are you having a party or something in here?"

"Yeah, I was gonna ask the same thing… the decorations… and the way you're dressed…" Ranma notes aloud.

Cologne laughs aloud. "Very observant. Yes, this is a party… at least for now. There will be some serious business to discuss later, though. Please, sit down…"

"Okay…" Akane says while reaching for the nearest chair. Ranma sits on her right and Ukyo on her left. Mousse begins taking the bowls off of the plate and placing them in front of each of seven place settings.

As Cologne and Mousse sit down, the other three notice the two vacant seats and wonder who they're for.

"Shampoo… food's ready… you two better get out here before the food gets cold…" Mousse says while aiming his voice towards the back of the room.

"Be right there… still getting dressed…" is the happy reply back.

"I can't wait…" Mousse says to himself softly.

Ukyo grins and takes a glance towards the back of the room. "Typical guy…"

Mousse nervously laughs and goes back to eating his ramen. About a minute later, Shampoo comes into the room, dressed in the formal dress she was wearing when the reversal jewel incident took place. Needless to say, Mousse is speechless after laying his eyes on the very form fitting dress. Shampoo sits down at the table and then calls out to the back…

"Your food get cold if you wait any longer…"

"Who's back there?" Akane asks, wondering who the last person of this dinner party could be.

A soft voice replies back. "I've never worn anything like this before… but I will be right there…"

"Wait a second… that voice… it sounds familiar…" Ukyo says, trying to place it.

"Meet the last guest of the evening… you remember your former opponent, Kodachi Kuno, don't you?" Cologne says as she taps her stick on the floor.

Several gasps are heard as the "Black Rose" makes her entrance, decked out in a very elegant Chinese outfit, similar to Shampoo's normal red one. Hers, however, is all black, save for the large red roses designs embroidered all over the front and back. A red blush covers the face of the young woman as she takes a moment to looks down at her body…

"That's Kodachi?" Akane says, not believing her eyes. "Her demeanor… her voice… her dress… it's all different…"

Not paying attention to the comment directed at her, Kodachi cannot help but comment aloud. "This outfit is quite… revealing, though it shows no skin…"

"No way… is that you… the same Kodachi that tried to beat us up during the contest?" Ukyo asks while taking a closer look at the young woman.

"Sit down young lady and let me help explain away their confusion…"

"Thank you…" is the reply back before Kodachi sits down at the table. She quietly begins eating her food and tries to ignore the stares from Ranma, Akane, and Ukyo.

"You're aware that she was on some kind of medication until recently…" Cologne starts off, setting up the background for the story.

"Yes, Nabiki told us all about that. That was the case with her brother, too…" Akane says while trying not to stare.

"I feel… much different then before… I cannot believe that I did such things…" Kodachi says, referring to her past activities.

"Oh…" Ranma tries to liven things up a little. "It's like a whole new you… that's why we're so surprised right now… it ain't anythin' personal…"

"Kodachi arrive extra early… and give measurements last night. Shampoo up all night making dress…"

"Good work, Shampoo…" Mousse says while taking his wife's hand.

"I know the dress is themed to my old personality… but I find it appealing nonetheless…" Kodachi says, a smile forming on her face.

"You look good, sugar. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were Shampoo's sister or something…"

That elicits a small laugh from everyone, even Kodachi. Cologne takes advantage of this thought being mentioned to add one of her own.

"Actually… the Amazon tribes and our ways are the reason why I've called you four here tonight… but there'll be time to discuss that later. First, finish eating…"

The shock of the new Kodachi keeps Akane, Ranma, and Ukyo thinking while they eat, they focus on the food, not on her, allowing the young woman to eat in peace. When everyone finishes eating, Cologne makes an announcement.

"First of all, I'd like to introduce the now married Shampoo and Mousse…"

The other five start clapping and congratulating the new couple, causing the newlyweds to blush. "Shampoo very happy… _airen_ very handsome and caring…"

"Shampoo…" Mousse's blush gets even redder. "You're gorgeous…"

"Aww…" Akane says, feeling happy for her former opponent. 'It's nice that she gave him a chance… sometimes it did hurt trying to keep her away from Ranma…'

"Congratulations…" Ukyo says, also feeling happy for the new couple.

"Good work, I knew you could do it, Mousse…" Ranma then addresses the young woman next to him. "Did he catch you off guard with that attack, Shampoo?"

"Hi-yah- that was very sneaky Ranma… Mousse was big distraction to Shampoo with outfit… and then attack… was too too much…"

"Even now, Ranma here still manages to influence Shampoo's life…" a cackling Cologne says happily. "It's the connection with the past, however, that has prompted me to call all of you here today…"

All eyes focus on the elder of the Amazons as she continues.

"As you know, Shampoo was supposed to either kill or marry Ranma… but neither has happened. A result of that is that we cannot go back to the tribe…"

"Oh…" is exclaimed from all four of the visitors.

"There may be other consequences as well… but I can't tell at the moment. I did want to my great-grand daughter to be happy… so I set up that fight…"

That catches Shampoo by surprise. "You organize fight? I thought Mousse had idea for fight…"

"No, it was me… I wanted to see if he could beat you with his mind and not his body… and it seems you've both gotten closer even though it's been only a day…"

"Yes, Shampoo spend lots of time with _airen _today… have lots of fun…" is Shampoo's response back while gently resting her head on Mousse's shoulder. "He give me chance… and I give him chance… is working out good so far…"

"That's good to hear… it's a more sane plan then the one you cooked up last time, Elder Cologne…" Akane comments.

"That nearly worked, dear… except for Mousse's intervention, of course. You'd have probably ended up with Ryoga or that other young man… Kuno…"

"Hmmph. No thank you…" Akane says while crossing her arms across her chest. Ukyo is a little hurt by her comment, however, despite knowing the history between Akane and Ryoga. Kodachi also stares at Akane as well…

"They've both changed recently… that is. They aren't bad people… I'm sure there's special people out there for both of them."

Upon hearing that, Ukyo feels better and Kodachi stops staring at Akane. 'Looks like my big mouth nearly got me into trouble again… at least Ranma didn't mouth off, too…'

"As you can see, Shampoo has made a new Chinese Amazon dress for Kodachi. I'd like to have her make one for her other sisters as well…"

"Other sisters?" is the quizzical response from the Nerima crew.

"This is a formal invite to join our new Japanese tribe. I believe that it's in everyone's mutual interest… Akane and Ranma remember what happened the last time Shampoo's sisters visited…"

"Yeah… there was the two short sisters on that first visit… they tried to kill me and Shampoo and Akane… and then later more sisters showed up. It was total chaos for a while…" Ranma says, knowing exactly what Cologne is talking about.

"I remember that too… being attack with that musical attack…" Akane adds.

"I'm not sure… but there could be even worse consequences for us… and for all four of you. You have fought and beaten Shampoo before… Akane is in the most danger from this, as well as Ranma. I did not want to have the other two be unprepared, however, should an attack come…"

"Thank you for telling me…" Kodachi says with a nod. "I had no idea that your tribe could be so… venegeful."

"Me too… I'd rather be friends then fight. Except when it comes to cooking contests, of course…" Ukyo says, aiming that last comment at Shampoo, who nods her head in agreement.

"Then you'll join our tribe and be Amazon sisters to Shampoo?" Cologne says, presenting her main point of the invitation.

The three women think it over while Ranma shrugs his shoulders. "Don't yah mean Amazon brother?"

Cologne grabs a glass of water from the table and throws it at Ranma… who fails to move and gets wet, triggering the change from male to female. A "zing" is heard and Shampoo quickly moves herself out of the way…

"Hi-yah! Ranma getting too too big for shirt… buttons nearly hit Shampoo in face!"

Ranma-chan blushes and looks down… and curses her situation 'Damn this shirt! I thought it fit just fine…'

"Ranma-honey, I think you need to rethink your outfits… and make sure they can handle both forms…" Ukyo says, commenting on Ranma's situation.

"Are you trying to show off or something?" Akane asks while trying not to get mad. "What's with the small shirt?"

"It ain't my fault these keep getting bigger…" Ranma-chan says while putting her hands on her chest. Shampoo puts a hand over Mousse's face so he can't see what's going on.

"Your female form must mature like your male form does, that should be no surprise…" Kodachi says calmly, having enough memories of this transformation from before not to totally shock her.

"I guess so… serves me right for wearing somethin' different for a change…" Ranma-chan says with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Ranma… that isn't true. You just need to… plan ahead better…" Akane says softly. "In case accidents happen…"

"Yeah, you're right…"

"Shampoo agree with Akane… you need to be in harmony with curse…"

"I think now would be a good time to take some measurements and for you three girls to pick out the color and design you want…" Cologne says while pointing her stick at the back of the room. "Shampoo will lead the way to her room…"

The young Amazon whispers in her husbands' ear. "Mousse close eyes… only look at Shampoo…"

"Okay…" is the reply back. He closes his eyes and Shampoo removes her hand.

"Follow Shampoo upstairs…"

The four women follow Shampoo upstairs, leaving Mousse and Cologne downstairs. After hearing the sound of feet disappear, he opens his eyes.

"I guess it's safe now…"

"Yes, it is. I think my great-granddaughter is being very protective…"

"I don't mind… she's all I want to look at anyways…" he says with a slight blush.

"I think they'll all accept… and then we can work together. It's more honorable to have one's former enemies join the tribe, even if it's only official to us."

"I don't want Shampoo to be alone… at least she'll have some new sisters…"

"True. I do hope that this will be beneficial for all of them… and hopefully we won't need to worry about that other possibility…" Cologne says with a sigh.

"I hope not, either…"

There's a moment of silence and then Cologne begins hopping away on her stick…

"I'm going to check on the girls… I'll be back in a while…"

"Okay…" Mousse says while taking a few deep breaths and trying to relax. He notices something on the seat next to him, a picture frame Shampoo must've left behind.

"I wonder what this is?" the curious Amazon says as he picks up the picture to get a closer look at it. "It's beautiful… I didn't realize that photographer got this made so quickly…"

Setting the picture on the table, Mousse stares at the picture of him and Shampoo taken earlier today in almost the same spot he's currently sitting in. 'She looks so good in that dress… I can't keep my eyes off of her…'

End part A.

----------------

Part B

While Mousse helps clean up downstairs, Shampoo is busy collecting fabrics and preparing her next set of projects- making a dress for Ranma, Akane, and Ukyo…

"Ranma, take off shirt and pants… Shampoo do measurement on you first…"

Shedding the overstretched top and her pants, Ranma-chan stands in front of the mirror. "Okay…"

Grabbing her measuring tape, Shampoo gets right to work, taking all the essential measurements to make another perfect dress, just like she did for Kodachi. The other three women watch as Shampoo jots down a few numbers on a nearby notepad and then reaches for a bolt of fabric, holding it up in front of Ranma-chan.

"Shampoo think red work best for Ranma… what you think?"

"Definitely…" Ukyo comments.

"Red is her color…" Akane says with a nod.

"What Ranma think?" Shampoo says, addressing the silent girl.

"Hmm… it's not bad. It does match my hair…" the young woman says while admiring herself in the mirror. 'If I gotta be a girl, I might as well look the part…'

"Okay, sure, I'll take it…"

"Good. Shampoo have perfect pattern to put on too…" the grinning Amazon says as she jots down a few notes. "Ranma all done now… time to measure Ukyo…"

As Ranma-chan starts to get dressed again, the brunette chef takes off her shirt and pants, causing Ranma-chan to blush at the sight of Ukyo in her underwear.

'I shouldn't be lookin' at her like that, especially since she's my sister… but I ain't never seen her wearing anything like that before…'

Akane notices the blushing Ranma-chan and delivers a quick elbow to her ribs. "Ranma…" is the low growl that sends shivers up the redhead's spine…

Noticing the situation, Ukyo also blushes and then apologizes. "Sorry Akane…"

"It's not your fault… Ranma here needs to keep her eyes on only one woman… me…" Akane says with a slight blush of her own.

"Ukyo like which color?" the young Amazon asks as she begins taking measurements. The chef begins thinking about what color would work for a dress like this…

"Hmm… maybe a deep blue color?"

"Okay…" Shampoo grabs a few bolts of cloth and holds them in front of the chef, who takes a few moments to pick out her choice. When she does, Shampoo takes the bolt and places in on the side, noting a few details in her notepad.

"Ukyo look very good when Shampoo done with dress…" the young Amazon says while picturing the finish product. "Akane next…"

While Ukyo puts her clothes back on, Akane hesitates… sudden remembering what exactly she was wearing under her clothes.

"Are you okay, Akane?" Kodachi asks, wondering why the young woman was sudden so nervous.

"Umm… yeah… I'm fine…" is the nervous reply back.

"You okay, sugar?" Ukyo asks after putting on her pants, wondering why the youngest Tendo hadn't taken off any of clothes yet.

Ranma-chan gets concerned as well and asks Akane what's wrong. The young woman turns her head and whispers in Ranma-chan's ear, causing the redhead to blush.

"Oh…"

"Hi-yah… Akane wearing something too too sexy?" Shampoo asks, nudging Akane.

"Kinda…"

"Akane… I can leave if yah want me to…" Ranma-chan offers, trying to make the situation better.

"No… it's just I'm wearing the other set I got at Naru's, that's all…" Akane says before taking off her shirt. 'Might as well get this over with… it's not like Ranma hasn't seen me like this before… and he's a girl at the moment, so…'

Shedding her pants, the normally outspoken Akane tries to be more confident as the Amazon gets right to work, taking measurements. While looking at the mirror, Akane can see Ranma-chan looking at her out of the corner of her eye…

'I know he'd be looking at me… I guess it's a good thing because it shows that I am irresistible to him. We just talked about being a distraction to each other yesterday… I don't know how well we'll be able to study together tonight…'

Finishing her work, Shampoo turns and addresses the youngest Tendo. "What color Akane choose?"

"I don't know" is the reply back from the woman, worried more about her appearance in front of Ranma then anything else at the moment.

"What others think?" Shampoo says, taking her question to the others present.

"Something in a darker color…" Kodachi suggests.

Ukyo nods her head in agreement. "Hmm… yeah. Something darker, to go with her hair…"

"Ranma, what do you think?" Akane asks, wanting more input.

"Hmm… let me think." Ranma-chan thinks and pictures Akane in different colored dresses before announcing her opinion. "I agree wit' Uc-chan… somethin' to go wit' your hair… like her dark blue but you know… more Akane like…"

"I get what you mean… and I'll give it a shot. Do you anything that'll work, Shampoo?" Akane asks, which gets the Amazon moving. She quickly pulls out another box and starts rummaging through it before pulling out a bolt of fabric that matches the request.

"This work?"

"Yeah… that looks good…" Akane says with a smile. "I'm going to get dressed now- you're done, right?"

"Shampoo done… you show Ranma lingerie again later, right?" the Amazon says with a wink.

"Only if he's good…" Akane says half-seriously as she pulls up her pants. "He needs to study more than he needs to stare at me…"

"Do you have a test coming up soon?" a curious Kodachi asks, not knowing the story.

"I gotta take some entrance exam on Friday, so Akane's been helping me study. Otherwise, I could be held back or worse…" Ranma-chan explains.

"That's why Akane's been studying with him… and I've been teasing them both a lot lately…" a grinning Ukyo adds.

"Yeah… you're getting to be as bad as my sister…" is the reply from Akane as she puts her shirt back on.

"It must be a brunette thing…" Ukyo says with wink. "Anyways… I guess we need to give Shampoo an answer…"

"Oh yeah… I almost forgot about that…" Following a long pause, Akane gives her answer. "I'll join… it's the least I can do. As Cologne said, it's in our best interests to join forces… especially if she thinks we'll be attacked. I remember what happened the last times Shampoo's sisters visited… and it wasn't pretty then…"

Before anyone can put in a word edgewise, Shampoo glomps Akane. "Shampoo welcome Akane to Amazon tribe. Shampoo very happy!"

"I'm glad…" Akane says, feeling happy inside for her new "sister".

"Me too… I mean… I'll join…" Ukyo says after some thought. The brunette chef is the next to be glomped, giving Akane a chance to recover her bearing. 'I didn't know that she could squeeze so hard!'

"What about you, Ranma?" Kodachi asks after Ukyo gets glomped.

"Sure… why not?" Ranma-chan says with a shrug.

"Ranma make Shampoo happy!" the young Amazon says before turning her attention to the fourth and final addition to the new tribe. Ranma-chan resists the urge to push the Amazon away… old habits die hard.

After the hug is finished, Shampoo heads for the door. "Shampoo be right back, tell great-grandmother good news…"

Once Shampoo leaves the four young women stare at each other and realize they've moved into a new era in their lives…

"Ukyo the Amazon. Doesn't sound half bad…" Ukyo says, breaking the silence. "I'm actually looking forward to seeing what kind of dress she comes up with. Just look at the wonderful job she did on Kodachi's…"

"Thank you…" Kodachi says while holding back a blush. "I understand that I've worn… revealing costumes before in my former pursuit of Ranma…"

"It's true sugar… but you're different now. More conservative, but still feminine. I think that dress really does you justice…" Ukyo says, complementing her new sister again.

"I can't wait to see the final result, either…" Akane says softly to herself. Ranma-chan hears her and nods, letting her know that she agrees with that thought.

Shampoo returns a moment later with her new husband and Cologne in tow.

"Welcome to the tribe… Shampoo has already told me the good news…" Cologne says before taking a bow.

"It's nice to have you with us… it gives us some kind of family here in Japan…" Mousse says, knowing that his new bride will especially like that fact.

Ranma-chan nods her head. "It's no problem… and thank you for makin' the dresses…"

"Shampoo happy to make dresses for sisters. Come back on Friday night for finished dress…" the young Amazon woman says cheerfully.

"Okay…" an excited Akane says, eagerly awaiting the final result. 'If I can help Ranma pass the test… and get a new dress, that'll make for a real good day. I hope he doesn't get too distracted by this new dress when I get it…'

A small grin forms on Akane's face as she thinks about that last thought. Ranma-chan notices this and wonders what she's thinking about…

Noticing Ranma-chan's current distraction, Shampoo throws some hot water on her and triggers the change back. Ranma is about to yell out but quickly puts his hands over his mouth…

"Shampoo all done with measurements. Ranma can go home with Akane now…"

Ranma wipes the remaining water off of his face. "Thanks." Turning to look at Akane, he asks if she's ready to go.

"Sure… let's go…"

"See yah on Friday then…" Ranma says as he heads out of the room with Akane following right behind him. The youngest Tendo waves "good bye" as she exits, leaving Ukyo and Kodachi in the room with their new family.

"I'd better head out, too. Ryoga's probably worried about me… and I need to get my shop open to catch some of the later dinner rush. Thank you… and I'll be here on Friday after school…" Ukyo says before bowing in front of Cologne.

"We'll be waiting for you…" is the reply back.

Ukyo leaves and starts heading back to her restaurant. Kodachi quietly gathers her belongings and prepares to leave as well.

"Sister keep dress on?" Shampoo asks, wondering why Kodachi hadn't changed clothes.

"Yes. I'd like to see how it feels to walk around in it. I have some thinking to do in light of all that's happened lately. For some reason, I feel this almost overwhelming urge to laugh right now…"

"Sister used to do special laugh all the time when she was after Ranma. Very… annoying…"

Mousse and Cologne look at Shampoo and hope that she hasn't offended their newest member. She shrugs it off, however…

"I see. I will do my best not to go 'crazy' then…" Bowing in front of Cologne, the Black Rose makes her exit. "I will return on Friday as well, I would like to see the final results for my new sisters…"

"Of course. You're more then welcome to stop by at any time…" Cologne says happily.

Kodachi leaves the room and heads outside. She takes a look at the sky and grins. 'This is most agreeable weather. I believe that a walk is in order… to clear my mind…'

Back inside the Cat Café, Cologne turns the sign on the front door to "Open" and comes back to Shampoo's room.

"I'll be running the restaurant tonight so consider this a kind of honeymoon. Tomorrow it's back to business as usual until Friday's visit…"

"Hi-yah! Shampoo get to spend more time with _airen_ tonight…"is the enthusiastic reply from the young woman who quickly pulls Mousse into an intimate embrace.

"I'll leave you two alone…" Cologne says before hopping out of the room on her stick and closing the door, giving the couple some privacy.

"So umm… what did you want to do?" a nervous Mousse asks his lavender haired goddess who's currently resting her head on his shoulder.

"Shampoo want to feel good tonight… but only do as much as _airen_ wants to do. Shampoo no want to rush _airen_…" is the soft reply back.

Feeling a little bold and confident after her reply, Mousse starts caressing her hair with hand. "Thanks for thinking about my feelings. I don't want to rush anything… but I do want to have fun with you and show you how I feel about you…"

"That all Shampoo want… to be loved… by handsome _airen…_"

Upon hearing that, Mousse begins to blush. He can feel her fingers on his chest, gently moving back and forth. He closes his eyes and continues to caress her hair as she starts to get a little bolder, slowly opening the buttons of his shirt. No objection is forthcoming from Mousse as he's too busy touching her hair and enjoying the wonderful smell of her shampoo, the berry scent fills his nostrils and causes some slight hunger pains as he pictures the fruits that are the basis of the smell. Her breath gently brushes against his neck, increasing the redness of his blush.

"Is too much for _airen_?" Shampoo asks as she starts to reach the lower reaches of his shirt.

"No… that's fine. I wanted to take off this shirt and relax anyways…"

"Shampoo like that idea…" is the reply from the now grinning Amazon as she finishes unbuttoning his shirt. She gently tugs on it and removes the tucked in garment, gently tossing it onto a nearby dresser. Mousse cannot help but smile as he looks at the happy expression on Shampoo's face as she stares at him and soon begins rubbing her hand across his chest…

"_Airen_ very handsome… Shampoo was the blind one before…"

"What's in the past is in the past… and now I can appreciate how good you look with my own eyes…"

"Shampoo look good in dress then?" the curious Amazon says while looking into his eyes.

After taking a deep breath, Mousse replies back with a warm smile. "Good isn't… good even. You're beautiful, Shampoo…"

The compliment causes Shampoo to silently blush. For the last year she had been waiting to hear those words from Ranma and yet now they sounded even better then what she had imagined. The idea of being Mousse's wife completely changed the Amazon's train of thought… and having embraced the change, she was ready to do anything for her new husband, who had promised to make her happy. 'That all Shampoo want… to be happy…'

While Shampoo is lost in thought, Mousse considers what to do next while staring at his beautiful wife. 'Tonight is special… so we should do something more… intimate…'

Shampoo's attention is on her husband after feeling him pull her into a close embrace. She moves in for a kiss and the two exchange passionate kisses for several minutes, both lovers hands wandering around the back of the other.

"I've been waiting… a long time to do that…" Mousse says while breaking away to get some much needed air.

"Mousse good kisser…"

"So are you…" Shifting his hands to her hips, Mousse gently rubs the fabric of her dress. "You umm… wanted to have fun tonight, right?"

"Yes…"

"So do I…" Mousse admits while giving her behind a slight squeeze. "Can I umm help you get more comfortable?"

"Of course…"

Taking a deep breath, Mousse prepares himself for the task ahead. 'I want this… and so does she. Let's have some fun… even if we don't go all the way…'

Shampoo closes her eyes and focuses on the sensation of her husbands' hands moving up her side and onto her shoulder. Her breathing becomes more noticeable as the excitement builds in the young woman. 'What _airen_ up to?'

Any doubts about Mousse's intentions are laid to rest a moment later when she feels the back of her dress being unzipped. Her face turns red as the zipper continues to head down her back. When it stops, she opens her eyes and stares longingly at her husband.

"Shampoo feel more comfortable already… but need more…"

"Okay…" Mousse says before continuing on, wanting to make this moment as perfect as possible despite his nervousness. It isn't long before Shampoo's dress falls down to the ground, leaving the Amazon with just her pink panties and nothing else.

"_Airen_ feeling bold tonight… Shampoo very comfortable now…"

"I'm trying my best…" the blushing Amazon says while taking off Shampoo's high heels. The young woman returns the favor, removing his shoes and tossing them to the side. She sits on the bed and waits for her love…

Doing her best to sound sultry, Shampoo winks and then motions towards the bed. "Shampoo ready to have fun…"

"Me too…" is the reply from the very redfaced Mousse, who cannot believe that a near naked Shampoo is on the bed, calling him. 'This isn't a dream… it's reality for both of us. I'm going to make sure Shampoo is happy, no matter what. We've been through too much…'

"This is how I really feel about you…"

After saying those words, Mousse sits down next to Shampoo and shows her exactly what he means to her… and her to him…

Out in the streets of Nerima, Kodachi walks around, enjoying for the first time in a long time the simple pleasure of an evening stroll. Many of the passerby took long looks at the beautiful young woman, who feels a tinge of embarrassment. 'The men are truly taken by this outfit… and even the women look at me in a certain manner. There must be someone out there for me… that can forgive my past madness…'

When she arrives home, she cannot help but notice the bustle of activity in her brother's room. She peeks inside and sees him sitting a desk, rapidly writing and drawing…

"What are you up to, brother dear?"

"Kodachi… I…" Pausing to look up at his sister, Tatewaki cannot help but notice the outfit she's wearing. "That dress… it is certainly… unique…"

"Yes, it is. I got it a few hours ago at the Cat Café. Shampoo made this wonderful dress for me… I find it quite… comfortable."

"I see…"

Since this subject is already being talked about, Kodachi decides now is the best time to reveal the other news tied into the new dress. "I have other news… I have official joined the Amazon tribe as Shampoo's sister…"

Silence is the response back to that revelation. "Say again, sister… I am not sure I heard thee right… you said that you joined the Amazon tribe?"

Nodding her head, Kodachi acknowledges the question. "Yes, I did. Due to the new situation that has revealed itself after the fight, it was in all of our best interests to join. Akane, Ukyo, and Ranma have also joined the sisterhood as well…"

Tatewaki is silent while processing this new information. 'I'm sure my sister thought this decision out… the situation must truly be trying for all four of them to join on such short notice. This is truly an interesting situation…'

Looking down at the desk, Kodachi notices several open books and a pad of paper in front of her brother. "It looks like you're holding a play of some sort…"

"Indeed. The Merchant of Venice is the senior class play, picked out by me of course. I am currently planning the costumes and other fine details of the play…" Tatewaki says proudly.

"That does sound promising… who has the lead role?"

"The fair Nabiki Tendo…" is the response back, a slight blush coloring the older Kuno's cheeks as he says that name.

"I see…" Kodachi takes a look around the room and finds several posters of Nabiki on the wall… and then notices an envelope on the edge of the desk. A few pictures are visible on the outside… these immediately attract the younger Kuno's attention…

"You do know about her… reputation…" Kodachi says as she slowly moves towards the desk to get a better look at the pictures. "She is quite the informant…"

"Indeed she is…" Tatewaki says, not even bothering to look up at his sister, who is now close enough to get a good look at the photographs. What she sees causes her to take action right away…

"I see some of her other talents have already shown themselves. Bribery and manipulation, just to name two…"

That comment gets Tatewaki to stop writing and look up at his sister. "What are you talking about?"

"These…" Kodachi says while holding up a few of the pictures in question. "She sent you revealing pictures to gain your favor and set herself in the prime position… I can see her influence already at work- you even have her pictures on your walls! I will not let my brother be scammed by some con artist…"

Taking a few deep breaths, Tatewaki tries to calm himself down and not yell at his sister. "One moment sister… she is not manipulating me. Several girls sent in pictures that were… revealing, though none as much as hers… but there were other reasons besides the physical for my choice…"

Doubting that but wanting to hear his reasoning, the Black Rose shrugs her shoulders and speaks with a twinge of sarcasm. "Enlighten me brother dear…"

"If you are of her other… attributes, then you should also be amiss in regard to her penchant for money and shrewd business dealings… business seems to be her forte. That is my primary reason for choosing her for the role… the photos were just a small factor in my decision."

Kodachi is not entirely convinced by that line. "Just watch yourself, brother… I remember your prior obsessive behavior in regards to Akane and the 'pig-tailed girl', who is actually Ranma…"

Tatewaki sighs aloud. "Yes, I am aware of that now. That revelation was quite… interesting. I had no idea…and my in my previous state I could not grasp that Ranma and the pig-tailed girl were one in the same…" A small grin forms on his face as an idea comes to him. "Speaking of relationships… are you on the… how shall I say it… prowl?"

Kodachi blushes. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You have a bag of clothes in your hand, yet you chose to wear that black Chinese dress…" Tatewaki stops after seeing the scowl on Kodachi's face.

"What I choose to wear is my own business…"

"Yes, it is. However, that kind of wear is generally used to… attract the opposite sex. Your legs slits, for example…" Tatewaki points down at the slits on the dress, causing Kodachi to take a better look at what exactly he's looking at.

"They appear to show… some leg upon further glance. This is not on the same level as those pictures on your desk…" Kodachi says defensively.

"And the top of your dress?" A red blush forms on the older Kuno's face and he says no more, not wanting to say certain things about his own sister.

Kodachi sighs and places a hand on her heart. "The top of the dress is skin-tight, true… but you read too much into this, brother dear. I was merely enjoying this new feeling… of being free… and having a clear mind…"

"Ah…" Tatewaki backs off after hearing that. "I can understand that feeling… and I wish you to trust my judgment. I shall not allow anyone to take advantage of me anymore…"

Pointing at the main shelf on the back wall of his room, he continues. "I have already found out where all of those picture albums came from… and I will be disposing of them shortly. Such ploys for money will not work anymore…"

Kodachi steps closer and takes a good look at her brother. 'He's telling the truth… but he still needs to be careful. Not everyone can change like we have… hopefully she will not take advantage of him.'

"I trust you, brother, but I shall watch over you nonetheless…"

"'Tis fair… but I shall also watch you, when the time comes. I have memories of you prancing around in…" Tatewaki gulps. "In your underwear, calling out for Ranma darling…"

Kodachi blushes and remembers some of the prior outfits and lingerie she had used in the past in her effort to "convince" Ranma to choose her over the others.

"You… have a point." she concedes.

"We shall watch each other then…" Tatewaki says with a grin. "No one shall take advantage of the Kuno's again…"

A small smile forms on Kodachi's face. "Indeed…"

Kodachi turns around and leaves the room, feeling a lot a better then she did before entering the room. 'This should work out for both of us…'

Tatewaki gets back to work after his sisters' departure, though he takes a moment to stare at the pictures on his wall… and to take another glance at some of the pictures in the envelope. 'I think there's more to her then meets the eye with her… I do hope to find out if that is true, my brunette goddess…'

Across town, in the Tendo house, Akane and Ranma are studying in her room for the upcoming test in an effort to keep Ranma at his current grade level. Nabiki heads upstairs from the kitchen and sees Happosai walking by out of the corner of her eye…

"Another panty raid?" she asks after seeing the pile of lingerie bulging out of the bag on his back.

"No, just some of my favorites… that's all…" is the reply back as the old man continues down the hallway to his room. After closing the door, Nabiki shrugs her shoulders. "Something's never change…"

As she walks towards the stairs, however, she notices that something has fallen onto the floor. 'That looks familiar… is it one of mine?'

Curiosity getting the better of her, Nabiki quietly moves closer to get a better look. 'If it's one of mine, I'm taking it back…'

Noticing a tag on the bra in question, the middle Tendo daughter picks it up for a closer look. "Wait a second… there's something written on this tag. Fighting fiancée special collection… number one of four… A.T."

The realization of what she has in her hand hits Nabiki hard. 'This is Akane's bra! The one she must've had on during that first fight. It all makes sense… fighting fiancée… one of four… and A.T. He must've caused that sleeping beauty sickness and stolen their underwear… I've got to tell Akane and the others…'

Quietly, the brunette backs up and heads up stairs to Akane's room in order to get the news to her as soon as possible…

To be continued in Chapter 14: Training with Happosai

I have a picture idea that will happen in the next chapter and that will tie into my picture contest on My next priority writing wise will be a new Pokemon chapter, so it may be a while before I get back to this. Stay tuned!


	14. Chapter 14: Training with Happosai

Chapter 14: Training with Happosai

Thanks to Smokin'Oken from for their ideas for a possible Akane attack, I've put those to good use in this chapter. Note that Part A was not preread, so forgive me if any mistakes slipped through. Part B was preread by Luke/Ranmasaotome103 on and deviantart.

Part A

Inside Akane's room, Akane and Ranma's study session is interrupted by a gentle but insistent knock on the door.

"Come in…" Akane calls out and the door quickly opens.

"You're not going to believe what I just found…" Nabiki says while closing the door behind her. "Does this look familiar?" she says while holding up a bra.

"Hmm… yeah. It looks like one of mine… did the old man drop it downstairs?" Akane says with a nod.

Giving the bra back to her sister, Nabiki decides to get right to the point. "Look at the tag…"

Taking the tag in her hand, Akane takes a closer look. Ranma also peers over her shoulder and begins reading it as well. "Okay… let's see…" Akane goes silent as the realization of where this bra came from hits her.

Ranma also remembers the fight like it was yesterday and remembers talking to Akane about it… 'She was missing her underwear after that first fight, this has to be it!' He exchanges a glance with Akane and then begins speaking. "Fightin' fiancée? That means this is that bra that went missing… when you and the others fell asleep durin' the first fight…"

"Ranma's right… this is what I was wearing that day…" Akane says with a nod.

"I thought it was… and I bet he has the rest of the girls underwear, too. We've should've known it was him… Sleeping Beauty Sickness… sounds like something way out there that he would use…" Nabiki adds.

"What do yah think, Akane?" Ranma asks, wondering what she wants to do next. He gets no answer, however…

Nabiki waves her hand in front of Akane's face. "Hey, Akane, are you okay?"

A bright purple aura suddenly fills the room… giving the other two their answer.

"No, I'm not okay… I'm getting tired of this…" Akane says as the anger continues to build. "He's gone too far this time… he steals all of our underwear, ruins the fight… takes advantage of me while 'training' me for the second fight…"

"Akane… I had no idea… I mean, I saw the moves you used but you didn't tell me that he…"

Akane raises her hand and Ranma stops speaking. She walks over to her closet and the glow gets even brighter…

"Where's that suit?" she mumbles to herself. "I'm going to take care of this right NOW!"

After hearing that, Nabiki decides to beat a hasty retreat. "I don't know why Kasumi sowed that damn thing back up… but I'm not hanging around if you're putting it back on…"

"Akane, hold on a sec…"Ranma says while moving closer to Akane.

"Ranma… you know how to handle this… I'm leaving it up to you…" Nabiki says before leaving the room and heading to her room and locking it behind her.

'Damn Nabiki…' Ranma thinks while thinking of a quick way to calm Akane down. 'Maybe this will work…'

Akane is about to reach for the suit when she feels a pair of arms wrap around her waist.

"Akane… hold on a sec here…"

"Why should I?" Akane says while lowering her arms.

"Cause you need a plan to beat the old man for one thing… and I don't wanna see you get hurt… or anyone else…" a soft sigh escapes Ranma's lips, emphasizing his last point. 'I hope Akane gets what I'm trying to say- I don't want her to get hurt or anyone else around her…'

"Ranma… I…" Akane begins taking deep breathes in an attempt to calm herself down. She focuses on the fact that Ranma has his arms around her waist… and how that feels. 'I feel… comforted by what he's doing. Maybe he's right… he's fought Happosai more then anyone else here…'

Slowly, Akane turns around, her battle aura quickly dissipating. "Ranma… I don't want to be controlled again by that suit… I still remember what I did the last time I wore it…" she lowers her head sadly and recalls the last time she donned that suit…

Flashback

Akane goes into Kasumi's room and she sees the bandage on her face... she knows she is responsible for that too.

"Little sister... is this what you want... to hurt everyone when you're angry." Standing up the girl holds her reddening cheek. Akane just stares at her older sisters' face in horror.

"You've hurt Ryoga and Ranma very badly."

"B-but t-they deserved it!" Akane sputters out.

"Then I guess I deserved this" Kasumi tells her sister and pulls her hand away from her face allowing Akane to see the dark spot forming.

"N-no!"

"I have to go fix dinner now little sister." Kasumi says softly and turns to leave.

"No! Kasumi wait I..."

"Do I deserve more?" Kasumi asked sweetly which caused Akane to flinch back.

"I'll see you at dinner," the eldest Tendo said before leaving the room.

Akane looked at the door as it closed behind her sister then looked at her fist.

"It... it wasn't my fault... I... I..." but even as she tried to deny it, she could picture the red mark on her sisters face. "Oh gods..." Akane finally said softly.

Dropping to her knees she crawled to the corner and tried to hide. "What have I done?"

End flashback

"You know what, Ranma… you're quite the strategist." A light blush forms on Akane's face. "Thanks for stopping me…"

"Oh, it was no problem. I've seen yah get crazy when you're mad before… and wit' that suit on, it'd be a million times worse…"

Akane sighs. "Yeah…"

Ranma gently pulls his arms back and motions towards the desk. "Let's figure out what we're gonna do… I think we need to get everyone involved in this one…"

"Hmm… okay. This does involve all of our Amazon sisters, so why don't we ask tell them about this on Friday. That gives us tonight and three more days to figure something out."

Ranma sits on Akane's bed while she sits at her desk, jotting down ideas on their impromptu break from studying. While this is going on, Nabiki slinks back over to the door and presses her ear against the door.

'I guess Ranma got to her before she put that suit on… sounds like they're plotting something against Happosai. With those two working together, they have a chance… should make for an interesting event. I'll have to make sure my camera is ready… it's been a while since I've gotten some good pics of them.'

Satisfied for her safety, Nabiki returns to her room and continues practicing her lines for the play "Merchant of Venice".

'I hope that Kuno will come up some good costume ideas, especially for my attire. I'm sure I could convince him to make something elegant for me…'

Back in Akane's room the pair take a break from their brainstorming of ideas and engage in small talk…

"Exciting day, huh?" Ranma says with a grin.

"Oh yeah, it's been fun… it's not everyday you get to join an Amazon tribe and gain three sisters…"

"Or see the Kuno's acting normally… I still ain't one hundred percent used to it."

Akane nods her head. "I know what you mean… but it's a good thing. It was nice talking with Kodachi, I think we can become good friends now that she's not trying to kill me to get to you…"

"I'm glad all of that business is done… I only want to be worryin' about one fiancée, not four…" Ranma says with a grin. "I got my hands full wit' this one…"

"Hey!" Akane says in protest. "I could say the same thing with you!"

"I'm just kidding, Akane. You're kinda cute when you get all feisty, you know…"

Akane grins. "That reminds me of what you told me after that cursed doll incident. You said you liked the evil me better then the regular me…"

"Well, the regular you is getting a lot better…" Ranma says with a shrug. "Either way works for me…"

Akane says nothing but moves to sit next to Ranma. She silently rests her head on his shoulder…

"Stop teasing me… you just need to admit you have a thing for me and for tomboys…"

"Well… I ain't gonna lie… it's true. I guess I'm just trying keep my mind busy… that's why I ain't distracted about what I saw a few hours ago…"

A red blush covers Akane's face. 'He must mean seeing me in the lingerie I'm wearing. He has been good… except for the teasing. It must be his coping mechanism. There's no rule saying that I can't tease him back, though…'

"I never did get to ask you… did you like what I was wearing? I mean… wearing stuff like that is pretty new for me…" Akane says softly.

"You looked great, Akane. Stuff like that is good on yah… you got the body for it…" the embarrassed Ranma answers, spilling his guts so to speak, about his feelings and desires for the woman sitting next to him.

"So I'm not built like a brick?"

"No… but I heard gramps say something in English once with that word in it… hmm. What was it?"

That gets Akane thinking… she tries to think of a word that goes with "Brick". Ranma snaps his fingers about a minute later and remembers the answer.

"Brickhouse, yeah, that's it. Can I call yah that?"

"I'll think about it…but only call me that in private, okay?" Akane says teasingly. 'I know what the term means… but him thinking I'm one means that he thinks I'm really good looking, so I'll let it slide if he calls me that, at least in private…'

"Okay…"

Akane starts rubbing her right hand across Ranma's back, relieving some of the tension she's feeling inside. Ranma closes his eyes and enjoys the moment…

"We're having fun just talking together… Ranma, this is one of the things we were missing before. We couldn't get into a conversation without going after one another with words… or mallets…"

"Yeah, I remember those days." Ranma says, remembering the many times he got hit by the woman sitting next to him. "It's still hard sometimes, yah know, not to want to yell at you… but it's getting easier to resist openin' my mouth…"

"Same here… and the same goes for the other girls. I'm glad Ukyo is your sister now, she's a very nice person…"

"You two didn't fight as much as the others, I think yah respect each other. Ukyo's pretty smart, so she does know when to quit, she isn't too stubborn…"

"Unlike a certain martial artist that happens to be her brother…" Akane says with a grin.

Ranma doesn't like the sound of that. "Hey, that stubbornness saved yah a couple times!"

"And so did mine, Ranma. We owe each other… so it cancels out."

Ranma silently acknowledges that fact. The young man suddenly has an idea… and then another…

While taking a glance at Ranma's face, Akane cannot help but notice an ever-growing grin forming on it…

"You're up to something… tell me what it is…"

"I think I've figured out what we need ta do to get some payback…"

"Okay… tell me…"

"Well, the first thing I thought of is using one of your umm… abilities to our advantage…"

"What do you mean by that?" Akane asks, wondering why he hesitated for a moment.

"Your cooking… we can use it to paralyze him…" is the reply back in a serious tone.

That comment earns Ranma a quick "bop" on the head by his now irate fiancée.

"And just what is that supposed to mean? You're lucky I didn't mallet you just now… I thought we agreed to stop the insults. Ranma, I know my cooking is horrible… you don't have to rub it in…"

Ranma goes on the defensive. "I ain't tryin' to get yah mad… but if we say it was somethin' Kasumi cooked, he'll eat it. Add some of Kodachi's paralyzing powder and we're in business…"

"You know what… that sounds insane enough to work. I still think we need more, though…" Akane says with a sigh. "We need to be distracting him so he won't even think twice about eating that food…"

"Hmm…" Ranma pauses and thinks about that for a few moments. "What about training? What kinda stuff did you have ta wear when he trained yah before?"

"Just my normal gi, nothing special. Ranma… are you suggesting we wear something suggestive? That pervert would be all over us and anyone else that happened to be there…" Akane rolls her eyes. "That'd be exactly what he'd want…"

"He won't be able to resist a training offer… especially if he gets all of us at once. Think about it…"

"Maybe we could say… the other girls want to learn the techniques that I used to beat them. I could use a refresher myself… though I'll pass on any more groping…"

"Good idea…"

"Okay… we got that settled. There is something else I wanted to talk to you about, Ranma…"

Ranma gently moves his left hand and places in on the back of her shirt. He begins gently rubbing her back, just like she has been doing to him…

"Yeah… what is it?"

"It's about Shampoo… I think we're in for some real fights in the future. Those people don't give up so easily… you remember how dedicated Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung were about beating me… and you…"

"Well, yeah, I remember that…" Ranma says with a shrug.

"I want to become a better fighter… without the suit. That's something I'd only want to use if it was an emergency…"

"Okay… did you want me to help you train then?" Ranma says, coming to the obvious conclusion.

"Sure!" is the happy reply back. "How about we start on Friday, once this test and the Amazon business is out of the way?"

"Sounds good to me…"

Wanting to thank Ranma and continue this enjoyable break from studying, Akane takes the initiative and pulls Ranma into an intimate embrace…

"Akane…" the blushing Ranma stammers while looking into her eyes.

Akane cannot help but blush herself. She softly utters the word "Ranma…" before moving in for a kiss. The pair exchange slow but passionate kisses…

After about a minute, Ranma feels Akane getting a little more insistent and lets his body ease back onto her bed. It isn't long before the pair stop to catch their breaths…

"I never thought… that we'd be doing this here…" Ranma says while reflecting on the situation.

"You never fantasized about being in my room?" a curious Akane asks.

"Well, umm…" Ranma blushes and admits to it without saying another word.

"To tell you the truth, I've wanted to have you in here. Now that Ryoga isn't around pretending to be that swine P-chan… I feel like it's more… private in here." Akane pauses to place her right hand on Ranma's chest. "I'm happy that you keep on visiting me here…"

"No problem… I like your room… it's… nice…"

"One of my favorite parts is the bed. I never was fond of the Japanese way of sleeping on the floor…" Akane admits.

"Oh, you get used to it…" Ranma says, recalling his past experiences on the road.

Akane is about to say something in reply when the door opens and Nodoka walks in.

"Sorry to interrupt… but I just heard that you two have joined the Amazons and their tribe…"

The now very red-faced Akane and Ranma quickly sit up and look at the Saotome matriarch.

"Yeah mom, we did. Akane and I, then Ukyo and Kodachi too, all four us joined them. Shampoo got married yesterday to Mousse… there was a lot going on there when we stopped by…"

"I see. What was the reason the Elder Cologne gave you for wanting you four to join. I'm really curious… I thought that she was trying to get Ranma to marry Shampoo before…"

Akane fields the answer to that question. "Well, since I won, that's kind of come to a halt. She actually worried about the consequences of the fight… even though Shampoo is now married, it's not to Ranma. Her Amazon sisters could come after her… and all of us. Two of them have used the "kiss of death" on her and on me before…"

"I had no idea it was that serious. So the idea is to join forces then…" Nodoka thinks about that while Ranma and Akane exchange some quick glances.

"I know I should've talked to you and pops before agreeing to that… but it just felt like the right thing to do…" Ranma says, explaining his actions.

"Me too, I feel the same way…" Akane adds, showing her feelings on the matter.

"I've already discussed the matter with your father and my husband, Akane. You don't have to worry… all of us agree that this decision is for the best. Nerima isn't always the friendliest place, I've heard stories about all of the trials you two went through…"

"Yeah, this place ain't no cakewalk sometimes… but I think it's getting a little easier…"

Akane catches the reference to her and their relationship and smiles. 'Ranma's right, at least some things are getting easier. We're pretty open with each other now… and we trust each other. That's really important…'

"I'm glad to hear that. I'll leave you two alone so you can get back to your studying… of each other…" Nodoka says that last part with a giggle and then closes the door to the room.

"Just great, now my mom thinks we were up here doin' somethin'… you know…" Ranma says with a sigh.

"Perverted?"

"Yeah…"

"All we were doing is communicating… to each other. Let's get back to our study session before it gets too later, okay?" Akane says, noting the time on the nearby clock.

Ranma stretches his arms towards the ceiling and then yawns. "Sounds good to me… I'm startin' to get tired anyway…"

Ranma and Akane return to their study session and continue to make progress. Akane can see Ranma's determination as the reviewing continues…

Across town at Uc-chan's Café, the dinner rush starts to come to an end and Ryoga walks over to Ukyo, who's cooking up one of her specials on the grill…

"I didn't get to ask you… how did your meeting go?" Ryoga says while leaning against the counter.

"Not bad. Actually, a couple of interesting things happened. For starters, I'm now part of the Amazon tribe…"

Ryoga's eyebrows rise up after hearing that. "You joined them? Why?"

"Cologne explained what the current situation is… it's possible that we could be in danger in the future from Shampoo's other sisters or her former tribe back in China. She wanted us all to work together…"

Ryoga begins to put the idea together but wants more information. "Who else joined?"

"Akane, Ranma, and Kodachi… all of us that were in the two fights with Shampoo and of course, Ran-chan. He's been a target for a long time, and with him being involved with Akane, who beat Shampoo- I don't think he's on their popular list right now."

"Well, it sounds reasonable to me… but I'm worried about you and everyone else. Those Amazons can be ruthless…"

"I'll be fine, sugar. I have you to help me out after all…" Ukyo says with a wink. She flips the Okonomiyaki she's grilling in the air and then catches it with a plate. "Can you deliver this to the back?"

"Sure…" Ryoga says while taking the plate. Ukyo decides to talk more about this topic and waits for Ryoga's return.

"Maybe we should… you know, train together or something…" Ryoga says when he gets back. "You're a great martial artist, don't get me wrong…"

Ukyo smiles and nods her head. "Don't worry, I understand what you mean. We'll figure something out… maybe we could practice over at the Tendo's in their dojo. I'm sure mom would love to see us visit more often…"

"But what about… Akane…" Ryoga utters that last word softly, afraid to even speak her name.

"As long as you don't piss her off, I'm sure she won't bother you…"

"Or so you say…"

The brunette chef snaps her fingers together. "Oh, there was one more thing. We're all getting special dresses for joining, you know, like the red one Shampoo wears all the time. Kodachi already got hers… and Shampoo's making them for the rest of us…"

"Hmm… a Chinese dress… on you…" Ryoga takes the image of Shampoo in her red dress in his mind and replaces her with Ukyo. 'That'd look hot on her…'

A slight trace of drool can be seen on the edge of Ryoga's mouth as he continues to think about Ukyo in that form-fitting Chinese dress. Ukyo notices this and rolls her eyes.

'At least I know what he thinks of the dress… I just hope he's not thinking about anything too perverted…'

Ukyo leaves Ryoga to his fantasy for a few minutes while she cooks up her final order for the time being. After the Okonomiyaki is ready, she clears her throat.

"Ahem. Bring this over to table ten, please…"

"Huh?" Ryoga rubs his eyes. "Oh, okay… sorry about that…"

Ukyo passes the plate to her boyfriend, who carries over to the waiting customer. When he returns, the topic of conversation turns to another subject and the evening continues…

After all the goings on across Nerima, it isn't long before Tuesday arrives, full of bright sun and semi-warm temperatures. This morning finds Ranma and Akane off to school earlier then usual, due to the warmer weather and a general urge to relax and enjoy the weather.

When the pair arrive at Furinkan High School, they're immediately approached by Tatewaki Kuno…

"Well if it isn't Kuno…" Ranma says as the older student stops in front of them. "How's it going?"

"Good morning to thee and Akane Tendo…" is the courteous reply back.

"How's the play preparations coming along?" Akane asks, wanting to see if there's been any progress yet.

"I have all of the costumes and props already planned out, it will be magnificent. I would have a word with thee, Akane, in private…"

Ranma looks at Akane and then at Kuno before shrugging his shoulders. "I'm going on ahead… I'll meet you in class…"

"Okay Ranma…" Akane says while Ranma heads to class, all the while thinking about what Kuno's up to.

Akane somewhat nervously moves over to the side of the entranceway and asks: "Okay… what did you want to talk about?"

"I need… some information. I am trying to make a special costume for your sister and I need…" a red blush forms on the kendo master's face. His voice drops to a near whisper before he continues. "I need her measurements…"

"Her measurements? I don't know if I should tell you that…" Akane says in a semi-shocked manner, though inside she knows that he's really interested in her sister now.

"'Tis not for something perverted, but for a dress…"

"Well… maybe I can tell you… if it's for a dress. Let me see…" Akane takes out a pen and paper and jots down the numbers that Kuno needs. "There… but don't tell her you got that from me…"

"I am in your debt…" Kuno says with a bow. "I will talk to thee later…"

Akane watches the "Blue Thunder" walk away and cannot help but grin. 'Looks like he's really got the hots for Nabiki now… I wonder how she'll respond to this gift of his…'

The youngest Tendo heads off to class, not noticing that her older sister is approaching Kuno at that very moment…

"Kuno-baby, I have a quick question for you…" The voice catches Kuno off guard and causes him to stop in his tracks.

"Yes, how can I help you?" is the somewhat eager reply back as the young man turns to face the middle Tendo daughter.

"My costume… are you picking something… elegant? Something to suit my character and my tastes? Please say yes…" Nabiki says, winking at the end of the statement.

"Of course… it would be my pleasure…"

"Great!" Nabiki says happily. 'He said yes! I knew a little charm would work wonders…'

The sound of a bell in the background causes both teens to look at the clock.

"We better get to class…" Nabiki says before walking towards the entrance to the building.

"Indeed…"

While walking into class, Kuno cannot help but praise the luck that has yet again, worked out in his favor. 'I will make sure that I find the best costume possible for this woman…'

End part A.

Part A Omake:

"It... it wasn't my fault... I... I..." but even as she tried to deny it, she could picture the red mark on her sisters face. "Oh gods..." Akane finally said softly.

Dropping to her knees she crawled to the corner and tried to hide. "What have I done?"

"You're fulfilling your destiny, Akane..." Happosai said as he adjusted his cloak. "Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth... Mallet..."

Part B

Tuesday continues to go by at a rapid pace in Nerima. Over at the Cat Café, Shampoo works on her new sisters dresses between orders while Mousse waits tables. Cologne alternates between the two tasks and notices the zeal that the pair are showing for the tasks at hand…

After the lunch rush, Cologne takes advantage of the slower pace in the restaurant to ask a few questions of the newly married couple.

"I take it everything went well last night? You two are in quite a good mood today…"

"Yes… it was quite… fun." Mousse says while trying not to blush.

Noticing her husband's reaction, Shampoo decides to show some discretion with her answer. "_Airen_ make Shampoo very happy last night…"

"I see…" Cologne says, knowing full well what her great-grand daughter meant by that. "I'm glad to see that you two are getting along so well…"

"I guess all it took was an open mind… umm… and a little courage…" Mousse says while glancing at his wife.

"Shampoo still no believe it… married with loving _airen_… is like dream come true…" the young Amazon woman says softly, causing Mousse to blush.

'She called me a loving husband… I like the sound of that. I'm glad she appreciates my efforts…' is the thought passing through the young male Amazon's head as he continues cleaning the tables.

Wanting to bring up another topic of interest, Cologne decides not to press the couple with any more questions about their relationship- she can see that they're making great progress with each other and Shampoo even said being with him was 'like a dream'…

"Are you two ready for your trip on Saturday?"

Shampoo is the first to respond to that question. "Shampoo looking forward to trip, even though trip is secret…"

"I can't wait… even though it'll be for a short time. Thank you for your help in this matter…" Mousse bows in front of Cologne out of respect for her help.

"After receiving another one of those letters, I couldn't resist. Your dream finally came true, so now's the time to go back, despite the current situation."

"Shampoo need to finish dresses for sisters before trip, too. Be very busy next three days and nights…"

"Your husband can help you relax and unwind then…" Cologne says with a cackle, making a joke at Mousse's expense. "He needs to get used to your habits… and vice versa…"

"Yeah… umm… that's right." is the reply back from the embarrassed Amazon.

After that, Cologne drops the marital advice rant for the moment and begins cooking up a new order. 'I can't mother them too much, they need to figure each other on their own…'

The next three days pass by without incident. Ranma and Akane continue their studying and preparations for the test and for the impending assault on Happosai. Akane places her notebook with the battle plan in her secret hiding place to keep out of "harms way" until the time arrives to use it.

Friday is test day for Ranma… the day seems to pass by at a snails pace in his eyes. Akane does her best to keep him cheery and focused on the test, which will be given after school is over.

"Don't rush… we'll head over to the Cat Café after you're done."

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Ranma says, both nervous and annoyed by the forthcoming test.

"Let's just eat our lunch and not think about that, okay?"

Knowing that Akane is trying to keep him cheerful, Ranma decides to do his best to play along. "Sure… let's eat…"

In another part of the schoolyard, Nabiki is eating lunch with her friends Sayori and Yuki and discussing recent developments in the class, especially the play…

"You're so lucky… you won the lead role! I wanted that…" Yuki says before taking a bite of her roll.

"I sent in some nice pics myself… I got a decent role in this. A girl can't complain…" Sayori says, content with her lot.

"He's invited me over to look at the costumes for the play- they just came in last night. I can't wait to see what they look like…" Nabiki says, eagerly anticipating the end of the school day. 'I want to see what he got for me, I bet it's pretty nice…'

"With him paying for them, I'm sure they'll be pretty nice. The play itself is new for this school… I'm sure we'll draw a big crowd and the school will make some money off of it…" Yuki says enthusiastically. "You're lucky, though- first peek at the costumes is yours…"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure that you two have good costumes." Nabiki says with a nod. "It's nice to have something else to work on that's in character for me…"

Yuki and Sayori know that Nabiki means a non-monetary endeavor and are happy to hear their friend mention something besides making money, even if it's playing a role of a money orientated character.

"Have you been practicing your lines? I've been working on mine…" Nabiki asks before polishing off the last of her lunch.

"A little bit… I've been busy with family stuff… and I don't have many lines anyways…" Sayori says with a nod. "I'm not too worried about it…"

"Me either. I'm ready for rehearsal, whenever we have one…" Yuki adds.

The middle Tendo takes out a small notebook and starts jotting down a few notes. "I'm sure that'll be soon… we should have the costumes taken care of tonight, and then the props come next… maybe by Monday or Tuesday we'll be ready…"

"Sounds good to me…" is the reply back from both of Nabiki's friends before they focus on finishing their lunch- the lunch break is nearly over.

Up on the roof of the high school, Ukyo is eating her lunch and meditating on some of the things that have happened in her life recently.

'I got a new father, mother, brother, boyfriend and three sisters- all in a short length of time. It feels nice to have people to talk to… and to be part of a family again, instead of being alone. Something's bugging me, though… that dress I'll be getting today. I've only worn something revealing like that a few times before and some of those were forced, like on Toma's Island. Can I handle it?'

As the young brunette chef eats her lunch, she tries to come to terms with her own femininity. She looks down at the school uniform she's wearing and returns to eating. 'I spent ten years living my life in the pursuit of revenge, shunning my body and most anything female. I'm wearing a male school uniform right now… about the only time I wear anything 'girly' is when I'm swimming. Why is this so hard? I want to be more feminine, more girly. For me… and for Ryoga… hmm.'

The sound of a bell in the distance interrupts Ukyo's train of thought. 'Damn, lunch is over already! I better get back to class…'

Resigning the problem until later, Ukyo quickly gathers her things and heads down to class. She notices Ranma's nervousness as the day nears its end. 'He must be worried about that test… I hope Akane was able to get him up to par…'

It isn't long before the school bell rings, ending the school day. Ranma cannot help but think of the bell as the start of a symbolic match…

"Good luck Ranma…" Ukyo says while giving him a reassuring pat on the back. "See you over at the Cat Café when you're done…"

Akane waits for Ukyo and the other classmates to leave before talking to Ranma.

"It's time… are you ready?"

"I hope so… all that studying wit' yah hopefully will pay off…" Ranma says, trying to sound confident.

"Just pretend like it's one of your fights and you'll be fine." Akane leans over and kisses her fiancée on the cheek. "Good luck…"

Ranma blushes. "Thanks… I'll see yah later…"

Akane nods and then leaves the room. A few minutes later, Ms. Hinako shows up with the test materials…

"I hope you're ready, Mister Saotome. You have two hours to finish this test…"

Reaching for his pencil, the young martial artist motions towards the teacher. "Bring it on, I'm ready…"

Impressed by his confidence, Ms. Hinako puts the test down on the desk. "I can see that you've been studying… that's good. That's the mark of a true student, not a delinquent…"

"No delinquents here today…" Ranma says softly as he immediately starts on the test. The teacher sits down at the front desk and takes out a book to pass time until Ranma's done…

The end of the school day finds Nabiki walking with Kuno back to his place to check out the costumes for the play. The young man cannot help but notice the good mood of his schoolmate and love interest, Nabiki Tendo.

"I can't wait to see these costumes…" she comments offhand as the pair near the Kuno Estate.

"You will be pleased, trust me…" is about all the information Tatewaki will give out, wanting to keep the surprise a surprise.

Nabiki takes that comment as a good sign and a few minutes later, they arrive. She follows the young man in front of her through the grounds… anticipation builds with every step.

"In this room…"

"Okay…"

Nabiki slides the door open and finds a long metal rack stretching across the length of the room. Every six inches or so, there's a costume with a tag on it. Each costume represents the character and the time period that is "The Merchant of Venice"…

Heading for the nearest costume, the curious Nabiki takes a closer look. "They look great…"

"Thank you… please inspect the rest and see if they meet your qualifications…"

Nabiki starts with the furthest costume from the door and works her way back towards the front, checking out each tag and then the costume attached to it. She's impressed by the quality and workmanship of each one… and keeps an eye out for her own costume.

After reaching the last costume, the middle Tendo is confused. "Hey, Kuno-baby, where's my costume for the play? I didn't see it…"

"Ah, there is one more costume. I wanted you to see the others first… and I see they meet with your approval…"

Nabiki nods her head. "Of course, they look fine to me…"

"Good. Follow me…"

Tatewaki leads the young woman back to his room. On the outside of the door is a wrapped garment bag with Nabiki's name on it.

"There is your costume…"

Eagerly, Nabiki rushes up to the door and takes the costume down. "Can I try this on now?"

"Be my guest, you may use my room. Please inform me when you are finished… there is a mirror in the back of the room…"

"I won't be long…" Nabiki says with a wink before heading into the room and closing the door behind her. The seconds feel like hours to the nervous young man, who awaits the verdict on his gift. 'I do hope she likes the costume… it was tailor made to her exact measurements…'

"Kuno-baby… you can come in…"

After gulping and taking a deep breath, Kuno opens the door. He finds the brunette modeling in front of the mirror, clearly enjoying herself.

"It's perfect! How'd you get it to my exact measurements?"

""Tis a secret…" is the reply back.

Nabiki turns around and faces Kuno. "I see… hmmm. I'll let that drop… because you did such a good job. This costume is definitely from the same era as the play… but I see you've added some other touches just for me…"

"Other touches?" a confused Kuno asks, wondering what she means by that.

"Well… the reason why I took so long wasn't because I had a problem changing into this costume… I was checking out all of the photos of me on your walls…"

Caught by surprise, Kuno cannot help but feel very nervous all of the sudden. "Eep. I had forgotten I had those up…"

"It looks like good photographic work… did your ninja take these pictures?"

"Aye, Sasuke did…" Kuno says with a slow nod. "You are not… mad at me?"

Nabiki shakes her head. "Not exactly… I am an attractive woman after all. I'm actually kind of flattered by all of the pictures… and I see you've dropped going after my sister and the pig-tailed girl…"

"Yes… I am aware now that those were false feelings. My old self was truly eager to get either… or both of them. I now have clarity of thought when it comes to that area…" Kuno admits, revealing some of his feelings in an indirect way.

Nabiki catches what he means and a slight blush colors her face. "You're serious… you like me? This isn't some joke, is it?"

"No, it is not. I know of your preference for… showing off your body so I umm… changed the costume slightly…"

"I can see that. You lowered the neckline… you can see a lot of my cleavage with this… not to mention how much this showcases of my butt…" Nabiki decides to tease the young man by bending over and then turning around, giving him a look at the modifications.

Not knowing what to say, Kuno goes with a standard compliment. "You look umm… great…"

Appreciating the compliment, Nabiki feels an urge to give one of her own. "You're smarter then you look… with someone like me being the lead, and showcasing this costume… we're really loading up the sex appeal. Sex does sell after all… we'll make a lot of money on this play."

"Indeed. You do not mind the modifications? I hope it's not too much of a distraction…"

"No need to worry, I'll wear it."

After that statement, there's an awkward silence in the room. Nabiki has several ideas floating through her head, the biggest of which was the admission by Kuno a few minutes ago. 'He does like me… and to tell the truth, this new personality of his isn't bad at all… but what do I say to him? I've never done this for real before…'

Kuno is also thinking about what to say next. 'She likes the costume and the modifications… and she looks beautiful in it. She did not seem repulsed by my admission… but what to say now? 'Tis a difficult dilemma…'

"Umm… Kuno… is there… something you want to ask me?"

"I… well…" Kuno takes a deep breath. "I would like to… date you. Would you… go out with me?"

Hearing those words come from Kuno's lips cause Nabiki to freeze up again. Some of her deepest feelings and desires are brought to mind… like the need not to be lonely. Several fantasies involving Kuno and him complimenting her looks also come to mind. 'Is this real? Is he asking me out?'

"Are you okay, fair Nabiki?"

"Huh?" Nabiki blinks. "Oh, sorry…"

"As I was saying… would you like to go out with me?" Kuno asks courageously again.

"I…" Nabiki looks up and sees the sincerity in his eyes. 'This is no joke… he's serious. He wants to go out with someone like me… and I'm not even selling him anything…'

For some reason, Nabiki feels an urge to "come clean" before answering his question. "After all I did to you… all of the money I took from you… you're still interested in me?"

"Yes… I know I was not myself… and was partially responsible…"

"But I…" Nabiki says, trying to explain. Kuno cuts her off, however…

"You admitted to it just now… your honesty proves that you regret it as well. If you did not care, you would not have said anything."

The feelings of being sorry and regretful hit the young woman for one of the few times in her life, just like he stated. 'This feels so weird…'

Seeing that Nabiki is blushing and nervous, Kuno decides not to press the issue. "I see that I have caught you off guard. Perhaps you can give me an answer next time we meet, perhaps Sunday? The props will be arriving in the morning…"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Nabiki nods her head. "Sure… I'll stop by around noon and you can show me the props. I should have an answer for you by then…"

"That sounds good. I will leave to allow you to change back into your regular clothes." After saying that, Kuno turns around and starts walking towards the door, he takes a quick glance behind him at Nabiki and then leaves the room.

After hearing the door shut, Nabiki walks up to the mirror and gazes at her reflection. 'I'm so confused… he really caught me off guard today. A girl can't complain about a costume like this… but it was more then my request that caused him to make this. I'll have to go home and think about this…'

The middle Tendo cannot help but glance at the other pictures of herself on the walls as she changes out of the costume and back into her regular clothes. The debate running through her mind as she leaves is a simple one. 'Do I want this? This new Kuno may be my type after all …'

As Nabiki heads home, she takes her time and thinks about the latest development in her life. She immediately heads up to her room and flops down on her bed. It isn't long before she falls asleep, lost in thought…

Across town, over at the Cat café, four of the five "Amazon" sisters meet up in Shampoo's room. Kodachi and Shampoo are already in the traditional Chinese dresses and help the other two sisters out with putting on theirs…

"Sisters look great for their own _airen_ with these outfits, no?" Shampoo says to Kodachi while helping Akane.

"Yes… I'm sure they'll be quite happy with the results…"

Ukyo and Akane blush after hearing that. After a few more minor adjustments, all four are now dressed in the Chinese fashion. Ukyo and Akane walk up to the mirror and look at the results…

"Akane and Ukyo like dress, right? Shampoo spend lot of free time working on them…"

"It's very nice…" Akane says as she gently touches the fabric. "I really like the design and the fit…"

"Yes, it form-fitting… all sisters have full figure to tease _airen_…" Shampoo says with a wink and appreciating the comment on her handiwork.

"The little spatulas are a nice touch…" Ukyo says while looking herself over in the mirror. "I've never worn anything like this before… normally I umm… have support up there…"

"I understand what you mean, Ukyo… this style of dress is foreign to me as well… but it is flattering of my figure…" The Black Rose says proudly.

Wondering why Akane had not commented on the "added touch" that she had put on her dress, Shampoo addresses the youngest Tendo. "Akane not notice extra graphic on dress?"

"Oh… I didn't even take a close look at that… hmm."

The other three women watch Akane as she takes a closer look at her dress. Her expression changes to that of surprise and a red blush covers her face. After rolling her eyes and silently shaking her head, the other women burst into laughter…

"Looks like you got the bonus design, too…" Ukyo says with a grin.

"Sister too too famous with mallet, Shampoo had to put it on dress…"

"Gee, thanks…" is the reply back to that comment.

"It is a trademark… like the Black Rose with me…" Kodachi concedes. "I can see why Shampoo would be obliged to put it on there…"

A moment later the door opens and in steps Ranma-chan. She cannot help but wondering what's so funny after seeing the goofy expressions on everyone's faces, except for Akane of course…

"Somethin' wrong, Akane?"

"No… it's nothing."

"Ranma just in time for dress fitting… other sisters just put theirs on…" Shampoo says before opening a box on her bed. "Here Ranma's dress. See if Shampoo get it right…"

"Sure…" Closing the door behind her, Ranma-chan makes her way over to the bed and sits down on it. "Let's see what we got…"

As Ranma-chan changes into the dress, Akane remembers the reason behind her delay and asks about the test.

"How was the test?"

"It was no problem… it was kinda easy, actually. All the studying we did paid off…" is the warm reply back. "Thanks for your help…"

Akane is very satisfied with that answer and appreciates the compliment. Ukyo has another question for the red-headed martial artist…

"Did she grade it already? You got over here pretty quickly…"

"Yeah, it was graded." Ranma's typical confidence kicks in as she announces the results. "I passed, had like a 92 or somethin'… no challenge is gonna hold down Ranma Saotome…"

"Congratulations…" Kodachi says with a nod.

"Good work, sugar… your hard work paid off…" Ukyo says with a smile.

Shampoo has a more humorous comment to share. "Sister Akane help you study… but you no distracted by lingerie from Monday…"

Akane blushes and Ranma-chan just shrugs her shoulders. "Naw… I just put that outta my mind and you know, focused on the task at hand."

After making that comment, Ranma-chan finishes getting into the dress and stands in front of the mirror. Akane silently is very happy at what Ranma did and accomplished but decides to tell him that later in private. Instead, she looks at the mirror and watches Ranma model the dress…

"Hi-yah! Ranma look too too good in that, get lots of male attention…"

"I ain't interested in no guys…" is the reply back from the redhead, who pushes Shampoo's joke out of her mind.

"At least there's no buttons bursting on this one…" a grinning Ukyo says while admiring the dress and the little red roses sewn on it.

Ranma-chan is not amused. "Ha-ha. Still… for a girl, I can't complain… this looks pretty good…"

"I agree…" the Black Rose says to the new "Red Rose" Ranma.

Appreciating all of the feedback, Ranma-chan looks down and checks out the red roses on her dress. 'That's a nice touch, goes with my hair. Hmm… I heard somethin' about the dress from the other three but not from Akane, I wonder what she thinks. I better ask her…'

Turning around, Ranma-chan addresses the silent Akane. "Hey Akane…"

"Yes?"

"What do yah think? Is it me?"

Akane happily nods her head. "Ranma… you look fine. Shampoo did a great job with your dress… and everyone else's…"

That comment makes Shampoo glad inside. "Shampoo very happy to hear that!"

The purple-haired Amazon proceeds to hug each of the other girls and then sits down on her bed. "Shampoo have announcement to make…"

All eyes are drawn the young woman sitting on the bed as she continues. "_Airen_ and Shampoo leaving tomorrow for special visit to China…"

Ranma-chan has a question come to mind right away. "But I thought you weren't goin' back, because of the tribe and stuff…"

"Mousse mother want to see him, she no in good health. Shampoo want to meet mother-in-law…"

"Oh, I see…" Akane puts "two and two" together. "That's a good idea… but you two still need to be careful…"

"No worry about Shampoo, _airen's _mother live distance away from Amazon tribe… and we be careful…"

Suddenly remembering the notebook she brought with, Akane asks another question. "When do you get back?"

"Hmm… be back early next week. Why sister ask?"

"Well…" Akane walks over to her satchel and takes out a notebook. "Ranma and I found out something important that we need to share with all of you…"

"Yeah… we need ta talk about this…" Ranma-chan says, agreeing 100 with what Akane just said.

Those pair of comments get the other women very curious. They watch Akane flip through her notebook and then stop on a page about halfway through…

Kodachi is the first to ask- "What's this news you speak of?"

"Yeah, what did you two find out?" Ukyo says, voicing her curiosity.

"Thanks to Nabiki… we found out about a theft. Do you guys remember our first fight against each other… and what happened at the end?"

Akane's words make her former opponents think back to that time… and the result of that first battle.

"Shampoo and others all fall asleep… and wake up with kiss from Ranma…"

Ranma-chan blushes. "Yeah… that was me…"

"Do you remember something being missing when you woke up…" Akane says, leading into her main point.

"Hmm…" Ukyo snaps her fingers. "It was the weirdest thing, my underwear was gone…"

"That happened to me as well…" Kodachi says, remembering that details as well.

"Happen to Shampoo as well…" the Amazon chimes in.

"The same thing happened to me… but I happened to get this back recently…" Akane opens her satchel and takes out the bra Nabiki found. She tosses it to Shampoo and says "Look at the tag."

The three Amazon sisters look at the tag and moments later, a menacing glow begins to fill the room as the three women extend their battle auras. Ranma-chan is the first to see this and tries to calm the group down…

"Yah see that it was the old freak that sabotaged that fight… and stole your underwear… but Akane and I got a plan of sorts…"

"Plan?" Ukyo takes a few deep breaths. "What kind of plan?"

"A plan to use his own techniques against him… and to get all of you some special training, like I got. I'm sure you three want to see the techniques I used against you…" Akane says, trying to be the voice of reason. A few seconds later, she can see the results of her idea taking hold in her sisters' minds as the auras slowly dissipate…

"Here's the plan…" Akane says while grabbing her notebook. "Let me know what you think…"

The youngest Tendo eagerly explains the plan for revenge that she and Ranma had developed and argue against immediate action against the powerful old man. The three women listen intently and after the plan is explained, give their approval of it.

"Is very cunning… and Akane's cooking very powerful indeed…"

"Yeah, good point…" Ukyo adds with a nod. "Having Kasumi bring it out is perfect, the old man will think she made it…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know my cooking is horrible…" a downcast Akane says to herself softly. "It'll get the job done…"

Seeing how depressed Akane has become all of the sudden, Ranma-chan takes some initiative and whispers a few words in her ear. Within a few seconds, Akane's mood brightens a little and she looks forward to Ranma fulfilling the promise he just made to her.

Ukyo has an important question about the plan. "One question, when do we do this?"

"As soon as possible, after Shampoo and Mousse return. I've already drawn up a formal request in the notebook, so I'll just slip the paper under his door when it's time. I'm sure he won't be able to resist…" a grinning Akane says while imagining the five pummeling the old pervert.

"Shampoo like idea, will be back next week to help sisters. Stop by on Thursday, Shampoo should be back by then…"

"That settles that. I am looking forward to implementing some… justice. I will have the necessary powder handy as well…" Kodachi says with a glint in her eye.

"Sounds good then. We'll meet here again on Thursday…"

Akane begins packing her stuff back into her satchel and after discussing a few more things, the Amazon sisters go their own separate ways. On the walk back to the Tendo house, both Akane and Ranma-chan get some curious looks and some whistling, which both play off and ignore, though Akane does blush a little.

Upon arriving back, the pair find Soun, Nodoka, and Genma waiting for them at the dining table.

"Sit down you two, you're just in time for dinner…" Nodoka says, motioning to the empty seats next to her.

Akane and Ranma-chan do just that and watch Kasumi bring several plates of food into the room. Happosai comes bounding in and sits down at the table, his eyes taking glances at the tight fitting outfits Ranma and Akane are wearing as he eats.

The two Amazons are not oblivious to the old man's stares but do their best to ignore them. One question does come to mind, however…

"Where's Nabiki?" the youngest Tendo asks, wondering where her older sister was.

"I'm bringing her food up later, she said that she was tired…" Kasumi says, remembering her younger sisters' words from earlier. "She'll be fine…"

"I must say, Ranma, you look like quite the lady in that dress…" Nodoka says after getting a better look at it. "I hope you're going to be acting properly when wearing that…"

"Of course I am…" is the immediate reply. "Akane and I all ready had that guys whistling at us on the way back, but we ignored 'em…"

"I guess mine is an eye-catcher, too…" Akane says before returning to her meal. 'I wonder what Ranma thinks of it? I'm going to ask him after dinner…'

"That's a very nice dress, Akane…" Soun says, wanting to complement his daughter. "Shampoo did a really nice job… same goes for yours, Ranma…"

"Thanks, Dad…"

"Yeah, for the girl me, it's pretty good…" Ranma-chan says before finishing the last of her food. "I'm done… I'm gonna take a shower and change out of this dress…"

"_Sweeto!_" the old man exclaims and hops at Ranma-chan as soon as she stands up… but is elbowed down to the ground by the redhead. "I didn't say you could come with me!"

"But Ranma!" the old man says while struggling to raise himself off the floor.

"No buts!"

With that, Ranma-chan quickly takes her leave. Akane finishes eating a few minutes later and takes her leave, waiting upstairs in her room for Ranma. It isn't very long before the martial artist makes his appearance known with a series of knocks on her door.

"Hey, can I come in?"

"Sure!" Akane says, not wanting to sound too excited.

Ranma enters the room and closes the door behind him. He's surprised to see Akane is still wearing her new dress… and cannot help stare at her some more because of it.

"I see you like the dress…" she says, noticing his stares.

"Yeah, it's nice…" he says while moving closer. "I know Shampoo must like yah if she took the time to add these mallets…" Ranma gently tugs on the sleeve of her dress and feels the fabric with his fingers. "That dress was comfortable, I could handle that when I'm a girl…"

"I like my dress… and you like it… so it works for me!" the youngest Tendo says before looking up at Ranma. "There's something else I wanted to tell you, Ranma, besides that you looked good in that dress before…"

"Yeah, what's that?" is the reply back from the curious Ranma.

"Good work… I knew you could do it…"

"Of course… Ranma Saotome never backs down from a challenge!" Ranma says with pride. "I did have some help, though… from a certain tomboy…"

"Hmm… looks like I saved you again, huh?" a grinning Akane says in response to that.

Ranma suddenly remembers something. "You did tell me that you wanted a partner that was good in school, right?"

"That's right…" Akane says with a nod. "You remember…"

"Of course… and I promise to help yah out in return. It was kinda fun workin' with yah this past week…" Ranma admits aloud.

"I liked it too… and I want to congratulate you so…"

Before Ranma can ask "How?" Akane makes her move, pressing her lips against his in a deep, passionate kiss. Ranma feels her deliberately pressing her body against his, especially her chest.

'She's really getting into this… this is definitely worth all of the studying that I did…' is the thought passing through Ranma's mind as he wraps his arms around her. His hands gently massage her back as the kissing continues, which is a bonus for Ranma, since he gets to feel the soft fabric of the dress against his fingers.

"Good job…" Akane says softly after pulling her lips away from his. Ranma doesn't want to let go quite yet, however, and gives her behind a gentle squeeze.

"What was that for?" the blushing Tendo exclaims out of curiosity, secretly enjoying the bold move by her fiancée.

"That was my thank you for your help…" is the blushing reply back. "I think you look very… sexy in that dress…"

"I'll keep that in mind…" Akane says with a wink. "I don't mind the mallets being on the dress after hearing that from you…"

"Speakin' of that, just how do you summon that thing?" Ranma says, referring to Akane's ability to summon the mallet out of thin air.

"A girl can't spill all of her secrets, even to her fiancée…"

Ranma is not happy to hear that. "Aww man…"

"It's really not important, Ranma. We've got other problems to deal with… but I'm glad everyone agreed to the plan." Akane grins. "You and I are pretty sneaky, you know… first we get Nabiki and Kuno interested in each other… and now this…" The last words are said softly, in case anyone is listening.

"I think he asked her out or somethin', your sister ain't one to skip a meal…"

"It could be that… or she really liked the dress he ordered for her… or maybe both. Love… is a topic that was new to me… and I'm sure is new for her…"

"Yeah, she probably needs to figure things out, yah know, like we did…" Ranma says softly.

Akane says nothing but rests her head against him, enjoying the intimacy of the moment. The pair are silent for a while and then Akane reminds Ranma about school- "Don't forget, you have to keep it up, you don't want to waste your hard work…"

"Don't worry, I ain't gonna let you down…"

End Part B.

Begin Part C.

Later that same evening, across town at Uc-chan's café, Ukyo is wrapping up business for the night. She begins clearing the last tables in the back while Ryoga clears the front tables. The brunette chef catches him glancing at her several times during the course of the clean-up… with the attention seeming to focus more on her behind then her front side.

"We had some pretty good business tonight, huh?" Ukyo says happily. "I haven't had a profitable night like this in a long time…"

"Yeah, it was pretty busy. I think I know why, though…"

Ukyo grins. "Tell me then…"

"It was you… all the guys were staring at you… and all the women were giving you compliments on the dress…" Ryoga admits, holding back some of his feelings. Ukyo sees right through his comment, however.

"It was me, I suppose… but you aren't jealous of all the attention I'm getting, are you?" Ukyo says as she puts the last of the dishes into the sink.

"Well, yes… I mean no… I mean…"

"Oh come on, I know you like what I'm wearing too… but let's cut to the chase. You know I'm not the type to cheat on anyone… you are my boyfriend, right? I'm faithful to you one hundred percent…" Ukyo says with a nod. "Never doubt that, sugar."

"I believe you… it's just hard, you know… to not notice the other guys staring, that's all. You're my girlfriend…"

"Aww… you're being protective of me, that's sweet…" Ukyo leans over and gives Ryoga a kiss on the cheek. "Can you start on these dishes? I'll change real quick and come down and help you out…"

"Sure… but before you go… umm…" Ryoga blushes and then nervous turns away.

That response makes Ukyo curious. "What is it?"

"Can I… give you a hug?"

Ukyo shrugs her shoulders. "Ryoga, you don't need to ask permission for that…"

"Okay…"

The lost boy moves closer and then pulls the young woman into a very close, intimate embrace. She lets out a soft sigh and lets her body relax and enjoy the feeling of being close to her boyfriend.

"That feels good…" she exclaims while he begins rubbing her back.

"Your dress… it's so soft… it feels like silk." Ryoga observes as his hands wander around her back.

"It probably is… this is one of the most comfortable dresses that I've ever worn… and I look good in it, too…"

"You can say that again… err, I mean… you look nice…" a blushing Ryoga says.

'He really likes me in this dress… it is very girly. I'm starting to get used to this 'girly' stuff… thank you, Ryoga.'

"Thanks…" Ukyo moves in for a kiss and plants one right on his lips. "I'm glad you like it…"

"It even has the little spatulas on it… Shampoo really went the extra mile for you on this one…"

"Yeah, she did." Ukyo gently pulls away from Ryoga, who lets go of her. "I have an idea! Why don't have some kind of formal night once a week? It'd bring in some new customers… I'm sure word is already going around about the cute chef… and we could have you dress up, too…"

"Hmm… not a bad idea."

"Maybe a suit for you? I remember seeing you in before… and you looked pretty sharp." Ukyo says with a slight blush.

"Yeah, a suit. That'll be great… and then maybe afterward we could dance together or something…"

"That sounds romantic, sugar- I like it." Ukyo then winks at Ryoga. "Be back in a minute…"

Ryoga decides to start cleaning up the nights' dishes in her absence. Upstairs, Ukyo carefully removes the dress and hangs it up in her closet before quickly donning a T-shirt and some pants and returning to the lower level.

"Thanks for starting without me…" she says before joining in. "Let's work together and get this done and then we can go to bed…"

"That sounds like a plan to me…" is the enthusiastic reply back from Ryoga. He has an idea for something they could do together tomorrow, but waits until the dishes are done to share it…

"Whew, that's a lot of dishes… but we're done…" Ukyo says while admiring their handiwork and the full dish rack.

"Yeah, I was getting tired anyway…" a small yawn interrupts the Lost Boy's thought. He then brings up his idea. "Say… did you want to go for a walk tomorrow morning, before we open shop? I haven't been out in a while and I could use some fresh air…"

"Good idea- you've been in this place for days and I'd love to take a walk with you… and then could eat out for breakfast. After all, we did make a nice amount of yen tonight…"

A smile forms on Ryoga's face. "Yeah…"

"Let's get some rest so we can get up early tomorrow… I'll change in the bathroom, you let me know when you're done…"

"Okay… I can't really get lost that way, can I?" Ryoga says with a shrug.

"I hope not…" is the teasing response back from the brunette chef before she dashes upstairs and grabs her pajamas. Ryoga follows about a minute later, after taking a moment to ponder his luck.

'It's not Akane… but Ukyo is one wonderful woman. I think this will work out better… she's sure got a sharp wit and she's a little less dangerous to boot. I hope Ranma knows what he's getting into…'

Ryoga heads upstairs and changes, then once again takes note of the bedroom setup. 'There's only one bed… the spare is in the closet. She must really trust me… and want to be with me…'

"Ahem, I'm done…"

Ukyo decides to play the "tease" again. "Good… I was getting tired of waiting…"

Opening the door, Ukyo finds her boyfriend already lying into the bed on the right side. Their gazes meet and then he motions her to come closer.

"Umm… I'm umm… waiting for you…"

Saying nothing, the brunette walks over and gets under the cover. Just being next to Ryoga like this in close proximity makes Ukyo blush and realize the full scope of what she's doing, even if it just sleeping and nothing else.

"I umm… don't want to have any nightmares…" Ukyo admits. "You umm… help keep them away…"

"Same here… umm… and this is umm… more comfortable this way." the Lost Boy stammers back. Feeling a little bold, he puts his right hand in her left hand and holds it. "Thanks… for giving me a chance…"

"It's no problem, sugar. I knew there was a good, reasonable guy inside… it just took a little coaxing to bring him out, that's all. How are you holding up… I mean with me an Amazon and a Saotome…" a curious Ukyo asks.

"Umm… pretty good so far. It's gonna take some more time before it all sinks in… these last few weeks have been crazy…"

"They sure have, they sure have…" Ukyo says before gently squeezing his hand. "See you in the morning…"

"Good night, Ukyo…"

"'Night, Ryoga…"

And so the day ends, full of many surprises. Saturday soon presents itself and the crack of dawn finds Akane and Ranma awake and talking at the entrance to the Tendo house.

"Ready to run?" Akane asks while tightening her gi.

"Oh, you bet I am. You're wearing one of my favorite outfits to see you in, too… a guy can't complain…"

Akane just shakes her head. "Of all the things that I have… you're attracted to me in a gi… go figure."

"Hey, you look good in that… I said you looked good in other stuff, too, you know…" Ranma says, protesting her last comment.

"But the first thing was the gi… even before Toma's island… it all comes back to this." Akane makes a victory pose. "I didn't have the black belt when we first met… but I'm a lot better then before…"

"Yeah, you got a lot better at the martial arts for one thing and you umm gotten…" Ranma's face turns red. "Never mind…"

"Gotten what?" Akane says, catching his partial comment.

Ranma decides to be sly. "Tell me about your mallet and I'll answer your question."

"Nice try, Ranma… but I'm not giving up that secret."

To tease Ranma even more, Akane sticks out her tongue at him and then takes off. "Catch me if you can!"

"Oh I'll catch you all right…" Ranma says to himself softly before giving chase. "Feisty tomboy…"

Some distance away, on the patio, the three adults watch the pair take off and then exchange comments about what they just witnessed.

"Looks like Ranma and Akane are getting along just fine…" Nodoka says before placing a "Go" stone down on the board. "Your turn, Soun…"

"I think you're right Nodoka… they're even joking around with each other and staying on friendly terms…" the Tendo patriarch says before playing one of his stones down on the board. "What do you think, Saotome…"

"Oh, I say they're doing fine… just look at all the time they're spending together… and no one's getting hurt…" Genma says with a laugh at the end.

"That's true… but someone failed to teach him how to deal with women in the first place… we wouldn't be worried as much if he was trained right before…" Nodoka says while eyeing her husband.

Genma begins to sweat and feel uncomfortable.

"Well, it all worked out in the end…" he says with a nervous chuckle.

"Luckily…" is about Nodoka will say back to that. "Our son is amazingly talented- that's about the only good that came of your training. Most everything else was negative…"

"Now, now…" the bald man raises his hands defensively. "Let's not jump to conclusions here…"

Soun decides to say a few words and interjects a comment. "It wasn't all Ranma's fault… that the two didn't get together at first. My daughter is very… energetic."

"She's full of energy, but with a little help, Ranma was able to connect with her. They really are two of a kind… seeing them together makes me happy…" Nodoka says before placing another "Go" stone down on the board. "I do think he needs a little counseling about acting like a proper woman when he's in female form, though… I've heard of him being a little too… frivolous with that body…"

Soun cannot help but chuckle. "Well, there have been times… though they all aren't his fault… the master has a certain… attraction for the female Ranma."

Unbeknownst to the trio, the "Master" was listening on their conversation with interest.

'Sounds like Ranma needs a little counseling as a female. Hmm… this will work out just fine. He wants to learn about the 'special arts', just like Akane did. They all want to learn… this is going to be so sweet! I think it's time to order up those special shirts, just for this learning session. I can't wait!'

Happosai quietly tiptoes away and makes a quick phone call, setting his plan in motion. 'Thanks for the invitation to teach you again, Akane… and your friends, too… Thursday will be so fun…'

"As I was saying, the 'Red Rose' will need some training… and I think it's time for the two of them to go another trip together, when the time is right. What do you think, Soun?"

The Tendo patriarch thinks about his daughter and how things are going with her and Ranma. "Hmm… sounds reasonable. What did you have in mind?"

Genma says nothing but moves closer and listens with interest as Nodoka conveys her plan. Both fathers listen attentively as Nodoka explains her new "idea" to them…

Elsewhere in Nerima, at a local park, Ranma and Akane are taking a breather while sitting on a bench. Akane takes this opportunity to ask Ranma yet gain about what he said earlier. She moves her face right in front of Ranma's and says:

"I've gotten what, Ranma? Tell me…"

"You tell me first…"

"No, I'm not telling you my secret. You may be my fiancée… but I don't have to tell you everything. This isn't something that you need to know…" Akane says, not relenting her position.

"Fine, then I won't tell you how good you look when you're all hot and sweaty… oops." Ranma quickly puts his hands over his mouth but it's already too late.

Akane cannot help but grin at that admission. "Hmm… no wonder you like me in this gi… it's because I work out in this, isn't it?"

"Mmmhmm…" Ranma says, still keeping his hands over his mouth.

"I'm flattered, Ranma… and since you've confessed something to me… well, I guess I can tell you something, too…" Akane's voice drops to a near whisper. "I like you the same way… when you're working out… especially without a shirt on…"

Ranma slowly lowers his hands as Akane's face turns red as a beet. "Really?"

Not believing that she just admitted that out loud, Akane silent nods her head. The pig-tailed martial artist gets a real ego boost upon reflecting on that comment and smiles. "I'm glad to here that… I am good lookin' guy after all…"

Once again, Akane nods her head and says nothing.

"There ain't nothin' to be embarrassed about, Akane. I look good… and so do you…"

"Thanks, Ranma… for being honest."

"Hey, we gotta talk things out, that was one of the problems before, right?" Ranma says while remembering his mothers' advice.

"Yeah, it was… too much yelling and not enough… listening…" Akane says while leaning against Ranma. "Let's sit here and enjoy the weather together, Ranma…"

"Okay…" Ranma says before closing his eyes. "It is a nice day…"

The two spend nearly half an hour relaxing and just enjoying each others' presence before taking off again. On their return route back to the house, a special alleyway grows ever close, both teens see it coming and stop… though it's Ranma that takes the lead and gently pulls Akane off the street and into the relative privacy that this particular place offers.

"Someone wants a hug… or a kiss…" Akane teases.

"What about both?" Ranma says while pulling her into a hug. "I don't know what it is about yah… but you really got a hold of me, tomboy…"

"Same here, my _baka_… my life has been one adventure after another since we first met…"

"Ain't that the truth…"

The two move in for a passionate kiss and then silently hold the other. Ranma decides to answer her question by whispering in her ear.

"About what I said earlier, umm… I was saying that you've gotten cuter and ummm… more sexy since I first met you…"

Both teens blush at that admission, Akane in particular is very happy to hear that but is a little embarrassed about it. 'He thinks of me in that way… and I do the same for him… he is handsome and strong…'

"Ranma… I think the same thing about you…" Akane whispers back. "Do you remember the day you first arrived?"

"Of course…" Ranma grins. "Yah know- we accidentally saw each other naked… twice."

"Yeah, ummm… we did… I guess we're both perverts, huh?"

"I guess so… right from the start…" Ranma says with a sly grin. He then gently runs his fingers through Akane's hair and makes a note of the change in hairstyle from the past…

"I think yah look better like this, with the shorter hair…"

"Yeah… that was part of my past… and my crush on Doctor Tofu. When you entered my life, well, I guess I gave that up. I just traded one crazy guy for another…" Akane says with a giggle.

"Yeah, yeah…" Ranma says, slightly annoyed.

"Come on, let's get back. I'm getting hungry… and I want to see if he accepted our offer…"

"Oh, I don't think we have anything to worry about… I know that pervert is probably jumping for joy at the chance to "train" all five of us."

"Hmm… good point. I'll race you back…"

With that, the youngest Tendo takes off, with Ranma following close behind… both realizing the simple pleasure of a morning job and a little conversation.

Upon arriving at the main doors, both teens touch it and pause to catch their breaths.

"Damn, you run fast." Ranma says while his attention is drawn to the way Akane's heavy breathing makes her chest look bigger.

"You too…" Akane then notices where Ranma is staring- instead of getting angry, she decides to play the tease once again.

"I'm certainly not flat-chested, am I?"

"No…" Ranma says while diverting his gaze into her eyes instead of her chest.

"Of course she isn't…" a voice exclaims from nearby. Both teens stop and look around for the source of that comment.

"Who's there?" Ranma exclaims, going on guard.

"Your new teacher…" Happosai says before bounding over the wall and landing front of the pair. "I've decided to accept your offer… and Ranma, I had no idea you wanted to work on the female only martial arts as well…"

Ranma shrugs his shoulders. "It is "Anything Goes" martial arts after all… and since I got that curse, I might as well us it… ain't nothin' wrong with learning new techniques."

"Glad you agree. I've already made arrangements to use the dojo here on Thursday… and I've even ordered up some special training outfits for you five…"

Akane and Ranma don't like the sound of that at all. Ranma is the first to protest. "I ain't wearing anything perverted or any lingerie for you, so don't even try!"

"Yeah, this is supposed to be martial arts, not a groping session!" Akane adds.

"No no… nothing like that. Trust me, you'll like the outfits, I've already ordered them up." Happosai says, trying to allay their fears and not lose this chance.

Ranma stands firm on his point. "Well… okay. But if it's anything over the line, I ain't gonna do it."

"I understand. Ranma my boy, you'll love these techniques. You could even use them to have some fun with Akane here…"

Akane rolls her eyes and knows that he's probably going to be teaching them some really perverted stuff. 'It's all for the cause… it's all for the cause.'

"Well, I have to go… I'll see you two around…" Happosai says before bounding off down the street. 'Those two will appreciate this training… maybe not at first, but they will…'

After the old man disappears, Akane and Ranma head inside and find Kasumi waiting for them. She heads into the kitchen and brings out some rice and tea for the famished pair, who ravenously devour their breakfast. Kasumi cannot help but notice how the two are even eating alike these days… a smile forms on her face as she watches them eat and wonders if she'll get the chance to bond with Doctor Tofu like Akane has bonded with Ranma.

Upstairs, Nabiki sits at her desk and relaxes… letting her breakfast digest as she ponders tomorrow. She picks up the picture of her taken on Toma's Island and sighs.

'I go back over there tomorrow… and he'll want an answer. I guess I'll look at the props first and then let him know. What the hell… I'll give it a shot. Let's see how this 'new' Kuno treats a lady…'

To be continued in Chapter 15: Girls Just Want To… Learn Martial Arts

Hope you the reader liked this "Ginormous" sized chapter… over 13200 words in this one… definitely one of the longest chapter I've ever written, period. New chapter will be coming soon…


	15. Chapter 15: Girls Just Want To…

Chapter 15: Girls Just Want To… Learn Martial Arts

Part A was preread by my friend Steven/Datexan, thanks to him for the help.

Part A

That evening, Nodoka begins setting her plan in motion- she feels even better after hearing that Ukyo is the best swimmer at her high school. 'I know she'll really enjoy this trip, especially since she's a good swimmer. My son really enjoyed teaching Akane to swim last time, so I'm sure they won't object. I just have to figure out what do about Ukyo's restaurant, she needs someone to watch it and run it in her absence… hmm…'

Heading downstairs from her room, the Saotome matriarch decides to start with her husband… since he has so much to repay, especially to Ukyo…

She finds him playing "Go" with Tendo and sits down next to him.

"Who is winning?" she asks.

"Why me of course…" is the hearty reply from both fathers. They then loked back at one another wondering how the other could think that they were winning and not themselves.

"I don't agree with that, Saotome. I'm pretty sure I'm…" Soun replies back before noticing that after he had changed the pieces in his favor, now it looked like was in trouble.

Before the two can cheat one another again, Nodoka gets right to the point. "As part of your… debt, you're going to do Ukyo a favor next weekend. I've decided to send her to that hot spring that Ranma and Akane went to before…"

Genma immediately protests. "What do you want me to do? I don't know how to make Okonomiyaki…"

"Your daughter needs help… and yes, I'm well aware of your culinary skills. I will make the food… and you'll serve it."

"Sounds like you've got next weekend booked, Saotome…" Soun says with a chuckle.

"He most certainly does…" is the firm reply from Nodoka while staring at her husband.

"Y-yes dear…" is his reply, he can't stand that particular stare of hers.

"Since that problem is taken care of, I'll go call Ukyo and make arrangements."

Happily, Nodoka begins humming to herself and walks over to the phone. She calls her daughter and it isn't long before the brunette on the other side picks up…

"Uc-chan's café, Ukyo speaking…"

"Hello dear, it's your mother. How are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm just fine… it's a little busy tonight but nothing that Ryoga and I can't handle."

"I'm glad to hear that your business is doing well… I have a surprise for you."

Ukyo wonders what that could be and has mixed feelings about hearing that. "Really?"

"I heard that you were a good swimmer…"

"Of course, I'm the best at school…" is the proud reply.

"Do you remember that hot spring I sent Ranma and Akane to?"

Scratching her head a little, Ukyo focuses on that thought and soon remembers. "Yeah… it sounded to me like they had a lot of fun…"

"I know they both enjoyed it… so I wanted to send you there next weekend so you can spend some quality time with that handsome boyfriend of yours." Nodoka says happily.

Ukyo is very surprised and it takes several seconds before she can reply. "Mom… that's great… wow…"

"I'm glad you like the idea. I'll run your restaurant when you're gone, so you won't lose business… I've already enlisted some help and I'll be doing the cooking…"

"You know how to make Okonomiyaki?" the chef asks, not being sure of her mothers' culinary skills.

Knowing how devoted Ukyo is to her work, she asks for some help. "Of course… but not as good as you, dear. I'm sure you can give me some pointers before you leave…"

Appreciating the compliment, Ukyo decides to go along with the plan. "Sure… just give me a call before stopping by."

"Sounds good, dear. I'll let you get back to work… I'll let you tell Ryoga about the good news…"

"I will…"

"Talk to you later then, Ukyo…"

"Bye mom…"

After hanging up the phone, Nodoka grins. 'That's all set up… now it's time to make arrangements for both couples… and then I'll tell Ranma and Akane, they seem to be having a good time together today and I don't want to interrupt them…'

Getting right to work, the Saotome matriarch makes a few phone calls and then heads to the kitchen for some tea. She sees Nabiki walking downstairs out of the corner of her eye and pauses for a moment. The middle Tendo looks around and then picks up the phone…

'She seems to be up to something…' Nodoka thinks as she moves out of sight and starts to listen in.

"Kuno residence, Tatewaki speaking…"

"Kuno-baby… it's Nabiki… I thought about what you said and I…" Nabiki lowers her voice and looks around again. "I'll take you up on your offer. Can I come by in the morning to look at those props? We'll go out after that…"

"That sounds amicable to me. I'll be waiting for you then… please come right to my room, Sasuke will let you in." is the happy reply from Kuno.

"I'll see you later then…"

"'Till tomorrow…"

Nabiki softly hangs up the phone and then quietly heads back upstairs. Nodoka rushes off to find Soun… which doesn't take long- he's still playing "Go" with her husband.

"I have wonderful news…"

"What is it, dear? Did Ukyo say yes?"

"Of course, she sounded very happy about the idea. I've got some other good news that I'd like to share with Soun…"

That gets Soun's attention right away. "Oh, what's that?"

"Your middle daughter seems to have a boyfriend… she was just on the phone with him and they set up a date for tomorrow morning. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Nabiki… has a boyfriend? That's news to me… have you heard anything about this, Saotome?"

Genma shakes his head. "Nope…"

"She's meeting with him tomorrow morning… I think his name was Kuno…"

"Kuno? As in Tatewaki Kuno?" Soun asks, knowing of only one possibility.

Nodoka nods her head. "Yes…"

"I had no idea… I had heard about his turnaround recently… and this new play that her class is putting on. Perhaps they've made some kind of connection…"

Seeing an excuse to drink, Genma calls out- "This calls for a celebration!"

"Not now, dear… I don't think Nabiki is ready to share this with everyone… I think we should keep it a secret that we know about it. Look what happened to Ranma and Akane when they didn't get their privacy…"

"Good point dear…" Genma says with a sigh.

"It's time to eat…" Kasumi calls out as she enters the room. "I'm bringing out dinner now…"

"Thanks Kasumi. I'll go upstairs and get everyone for dinner…" Soun says before heading to get his two daughters and Ranma.

A gentle knock on the door alerts Ranma and Akane to a visitor. They stop talking and Akane says "Come in"…

"I don't mean to intrude… but dinner's ready." Soun says after opening the door, finding Ranma sitting on Akane's bed and Akane sitting at her desk. 'The two must've been talking… that's good to see…'

"Great, I'm hungry…" Ranma says as he gets on his feet.

"When is that not the case?" Akane says with a grin.

"That ain't funny… let's go eat before it gets cold…" Ranma says while offering a hand to Akane, who takes it and stands up. "We'll be right down…"

"All right, I'll meet you down there. I have to go and tell your sister it's time to eat…"

Leaving his younger daughter and her fiancée alone, Soun heads over to Nabiki's door and gently knocks on it.

"Yes?" is the reply a moment later.

"Dinner's ready, time to eat…"

"I'll be right down…" is the reply.

Nabiki looks at her bed and the three choices of outfits she has laying on top of it. 'I wonder which one I should wear? Hmm… maybe the green one… it does show off my figure a bit more. I already know he likes that way I look so I might as well flaunt it… this could be a lot of fun…'

A few minutes later, Happosai comes bounding in happily, having just made final arrangements for a special order to arrive on Monday. Ranma notices this and comments to himself as the old man sits down at the table…

"I wonder what he's so happy about…"

Happosai catches what Ranma says and decides to let him in on some of the secret. "It's elementary, Ranma. I've just ordered the perfect gi's for our training session…"

"That's very nice of you…" Nodoka says, not aware of what the old man is up to.

"They better not be anything perverted…" Akane chimes in.

"No, no… I did as you two requested. They're tasteful and will help you keep control of your movements…" Happosai says, carefully altering his words to speak the truth… in a sense.

Despite the "reassurances" from Happosai, Akane and Ranma have their doubts. Both share a common thought- 'The old man's up to something… I just know it.'

Wanting a new topic at the table, Akane decides to ask about the play. "Nabiki… how's the play shaping up? I'm sure with Kuno involved there'll be no expense spared…"

"That's true… I've already seen the costumes and they're quite nice. I'll be checking out the props tomorrow…" Nabiki says, failing of course to mention her date.

"That sounds wonderful, I'm sure all of us will be there on opening night…" Kasumi says happily.

"Of course, we'll all go as a family…" Soun says, reaffirming that idea.

"And that means I'm going, too…" Happosai interjects.

"As long as you don't cause any problems… we don't need any surprise gropings in the play…" Nabiki says, chiding the old man.

"But they're so much fun… aww…" is the sad reply before Happosai returns to his meal.

After hearing that, Nabiki begins thinking of a way to stop the old man, in case he tries to sabotage the play with his antics. She's especially worried about herself, due to the revealing nature of the costume…

'I'm sure I can figure out a way to stop him… there has to be some kind of trap I can set to keep him out of the way…'

Dinner continues and then after it's finished, Kasumi brings out some dessert. Nodoka decides now is the best time to tell Ranma and Akane about her new plans for them…

"I have a surprise for you and Akane…" Nodoka says while addressing her son.

Akane is the first to reply. "What's that?"

A smile forms on Nodoka's face. "Since you two had so much fun at that hot spring I sent you to, I'm sending you back again. I'm really proud of both of you… and I like the progress you're making…"

Akane is instantly sold on the idea. "Really? That sounds wonderful… Ranma and I had a great time and I even learned how to swim… at least a little bit."

Ranma also likes the idea but decides to play it "cool" and not act so eager. "Yeah, it sounds good ta me… I'll go…"

"That's good, I'm glad to see you making the effort my boy…" Genma says before giving Ranma a slap on the back.

"Oww…"

"Looks like the two lovebirds get another chance to have some… fun together…" Nabiki says with a wink.

"It ain't like that…" Ranma says, dismissing her thought.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Ranma… I'm sure you and Akane enjoyed your time in the hot springs…" Happosai adds, remembering the trip and his visit to the same place.

"It was nice… except for a certain interruption during my swimming lessons…" Akane says, remembering Happosai's little visit.

"Yeah, we don't like surprises like that…" Ranma says, also remembering the incident. "I hope there won't be any this time…"

The others at the table have no idea what they're talking about, nor are Ranma or Akane willing to talk about that incident.

"So when do we go?" Akane says, dropping the subject and switching to another.

"Next weekend, I've already made reservations. Make sure that you're packed on Friday before heading to school… it'll be the same trains as last time." Nodoka says before briefing them on some more of the details. During this briefing, Nabiki cannot help but wonder if something happened on their last trip… and decides to talk to Akane about this trip a little later.

Time passes and everyone goes their separate ways. Both Ranma and Akane start working on their homework for Monday… which leaves Sunday open for time together. Nabiki pays a visit to Akane before going to bed…

Leaning against the doorway, Nabiki asks her little sis if she's busy at the moment.

"Come on in… I'm taking a break from my homework…."

Nabiki walks in and closes the door behind her. Akane motions her sister to sit on the bed next to her, which she does.

"I'm so happy for you… you've got the lead in the play, you're in charge of pretty much everything in it, too. I bet those pictures you sent in were just too much for Kuno to ignore." Akane says, knowing full well what pictures actually convinced him to pick her over the other girls.

"I am very charismatic, it's no wonder that he picked me. It doesn't hurt that I have lots of sex appeal, too…" Nabiki says proudly after sitting down next to her sister.

Not getting the point, Akane has to ask: "What does that have to do with the play?"

Nabiki decides to explain what she means. "It's really simple- sex sells. I don't mind showing off a little… it'll help make this the most profitable play this high school has ever put on."

"I see…" Inwardly, Akane grins. 'Looks like you're not the only one that believes that… Kuno does, too. I think Ranma and I really sparked his interest in Nabiki…'

"Speaking of sex appeal, have you decided what you're taking with you for your little trip next weekend? You should plan it out now…"

"I haven't really thought about it too much… I think I'll go with this for nighttime wear…" Akane says while looking down at her yellow pajamas.

"Not bad, sis, but you should take advantage of your private time together… maybe show him some of that lingerie we bought at Naru's…" Nabiki says, followed by a wink.

Akane blushes. "I'm not trying to seduce him!"

Pressing the point further, Nabiki continues. "Why not? You two are together most of the time… and I'm surprised how far you've come in a short period . You should show him how much you really want him."

"I… I… " Akane's voice drops. "I do want to do more with him… but I don't want to rush things, either. I've fought too hard to mess things up now… and Ranma's making a lot of efforts just for me. I think we're doing just fine at the moment where we're at."

Accepting Akane's words, the middle Tendo decides not to press the issue further, due to her current situation with Kuno, the possibility of one makes her want to talk about this with Akane, even it's not directly. "Just offering some advice to my sister, that's all…"

"Thanks… but I think I've gotten it figured out now. We've both admitted that we really… love each other… that was probably one of the hardest steps of all…" Akane says while a small grin forms on her face.

"That is very nice of Auntie Nodoka to give you two another trip like that… she must have a lot of yen to be able to afford that…" Nabiki says, feeling a little jealous about the trip. 'Maybe I can go there with Kuno… if it works out in the future…'

"I honestly don't know how much money she has… I've never heard her mention her finances once…" Akane admits.

"Did you ever get another swimsuit? I remember you used that purple one last time…"

"Oh, that. I still have it… it worked the last time… but it was a little small…"

An idea suddenly forms in Nabiki's head. "Let's go and get you another one…"

"It's already past eight and I'm dressed for bed…" Akane says, not wanting to head out anywhere.

"Naru is open until nine… and this way, you'll have the store to yourself. If we do it now, then you can surprise Ranma… and Happosai won't find out about your new purchase, either."

"Hmm… you do make a point there, sis." Akane mentally deliberates and finally comes up with an answer. "Fine, let's go now…"

"I'll go and tell your precious Ranma that you're going out with me, so he doesn't worry." Nabiki says after standing up. "Be back in a minute, sis…"

After Nabiki leaves, Akane begins changing back into her street clothes. 'I think Nabiki's right… and I need a new suit. I'll feel a whole lot better if I have one that fits me… and I'll be a lot more comfortable and confident.'

Just down the hallway, Ranma is surprised to hear someone knocking at the door.

"Come in…"

Turning around, Ranma is expecting to see Akane… but instead finds a grinning Nabiki in her place.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing… I'm just here to let you know about a little shopping trip Akane and I are about to go on…"

Ranma is surprised to hear that. "At this hour?"

"Of course… I have some connections… and I know the owner. We'll be back later, so don't worry about Akane…"

"Yeah…"

"One more thing, Ranma. She's picking out a new swimsuit, just for you… and maybe some other… intimate things. I'd be ready for some fun next weekend if I was you…"

Ranma blushes and decides to say nothing.

"I'll send Akane over after we get back…"

With that, Nabiki leaves and heads over to get her sister. Ranma is unable to get back to his homework for several minutes, he cannot help but think about Akane in her swimsuit from their last trip… and her appearance when he was taking pictures of her and Nabiki.

'Is Nabiki kidding? Or is Akane really going to want ta do more wit' me? I guess I'll have to wait and see what my tomboy does… but whatever it is, I'm ready for it…'

Kasumi sees her two sisters putting on their shoes as she finishes her evening cleaning and wonders where they're going.

"You two are heading out at this hour?"

"We'll be back a little later, Akane and I have some shopping to do…"

"Have fun…" Kasumi says as she waves "bye" to the pair, who quickly make their way to Naru's, wanting to get in before the place clothes for the evening.

A little bell above the front door rings as the two Tendo's enter the shop. Naru turns and greets her new arrivals.

"It's nice to see you two…"

"Same here. How's business going?" Nabiki asks, curious about her friends' current finances.

Naru has a happy reply to that question. "Very good, it was busy up until about fifteen minutes ago believe it or not. I've had several people from your class stop by…"

"The power of advertisement, what can I say?" Nabiki says while shrugging her shoulders.

"Same thing for your class, Akane…" Naru says while addressing the younger Tendo.

"Well, I did put in a good word for you… I really liked what I bought here last time…" is the reply from the blushing Akane. 'Ranma really liked it, too… he thought I looked sexy…'

"I appreciate that. What brings you two out so late? Getting some more sexy things to show off to your boyfriend? I was going to close up in thirty minutes… but I can keep the store open just for you two."

Akane blushes even redder then before. "I… have a trip with Ranma next weekend and I need a new swimsuit. My old one is… too small…"

"My little sis is finally growing up…" Nabiki adds slyly.

"Gee thanks Nabiki…"

Naru giggles. "You two are so cute… I think I have just the thing for you, Akane. Don't mind your sister, she's just happy that you're finally grown up and are woman with a fiancée…"

"Of course…"

"Is there something that you need… since you're here?" Naru says while trying to find out why her friend is here.

Nabiki hesitates for a moment before replying. "Hmm… I'll have to think about it."

"No special events coming up?" Naru asks, having a gut feeling there's more to Nabiki's response then meets the eye.

That comment almost catches Nabiki off guard. "Well… let's help out Akane first and we'll go from there…"

Being the discerning person that she is, Naru knows that Nabiki is hiding something which she may or may not reveal later. 'Maybe it's something personal… I bet she might've gotten a boyfriend. I'll see what she looks at in the shop and go with my gut feeling.'

After heading over to the swimsuit area, Akane begins looking around on her own. Noticing that her eyes seem to be on the two-piece suits, Naru offers to help.

"Is there a particular bikini style you want?"

"Hmm… not really. I just want something nice looking… but supportive…" Akane says, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about her figure.

Seeing a chance to tease her sister, Nabiki takes it. "Don't you want to tease Ranma, too? I think you need something more then 'nice looking'…"

Understanding where both Tendo's are coming from, Naru looks around and then points out a nearby display as a compromise. "How about this series?"

Akane takes a look and likes what she sees. "Yeah… maybe these will work. There's so many good colors here, I don't know what to pick…"

"What color was your last suit?" Naru asks, wanting to help with this new problem.

"Purple…"

"So anything but purple… hmm… what color would be good on Akane Tendo…" After looking at the color choices, one catches Naru's eye. "How about this one? It's a darker green and I think it'd work for you. I remember you bought black lingerie last time…"

"Yeah… I did. I like darker colors for a lot of my clothing… this green could work…"

"And the style is definitely you, Akane…" Nabiki says, putting in her "Two cents" in.

"What about something for you, since you're here?" Naru says, nudging her friend.

"I'm not the one going swimming with her fiancée next weekend…" is the quick reply.

"I see… that does sound like fun. Where are you two going, if you don't mind me asking?"

"This hot springs lodge… it's several hours away in the northern part of the country. It's before the bridge to Hokkaido, though…"

"Wow, that is far…" Naru says, surprised at the distance. "I hope this will help you be more comfortable and have some fun…"

"Do you like hot springs, Naru?" a curious Akane asks.

"Of course… I used to live next to one after all. My fiancée Keitaro ran the place… but now that we've moved out, his sister runs it. I think the next vacation we take will be somewhere besides hot springs, though…"

"Yeah, I bet you'd want to try something new… hmm." Akane pauses as another swimsuit catches her eye. "Nabiki…"

"Yeah?"

Akane hands her sister a dark blue bikini. "This one's just perfect for you…"

Naru studies the suit for a moment and then agrees, especially after Nabiki raises the suit and holds it level to her body. "I agree… your sister has a good eye…"

Nabiki thinks about it and then looks down at the suit again. "It's not bad at all… I'll give it a try…"

"Great! Just double check the sizes and then meet me in the back, I'm going to start closing up for the night…"

While Naru begins to close down her shop, the two Tendo's pick out the bikinis they want to try on. After picking out the right size that she needs, Akane's eyes wander around the store and she happens to notice things she hadn't noticed before. There were a few sets that had cat paw prints, as well some sets with little pink cats on them. She thought there were cute, until she made the connection. 'No way..." she thought and then noticed some things with little piggy's on them off on the side. Then on one rack, some things had a duck pattern… next to fishnet stockings with what appeared to be bulls on them.

'I don't believe it… she's made her own fashion line using the different curses… I'm impressed… and a little scared.'

On her way towards the changing room, Akane's eyes divert over to the sleepwear section where a bunch of robes are hanging on the wall…

"Wow, these are nice…" she says after reaching out and touching the fabric on one of the robes. "This feels like silk, it's so soft…"

"It is silk… do you like it?" Naru says while walking up to Akane.

"Yeah, it looks really elegant and it's so soft… I bet it's really comfortable!" Akane says, taken by all the qualities she likes in her nightwear.

"You should try it on then…"

Akane sighs aloud. "I bet it's really expensive… I don't think I could afford it…"

Naru looks around and after seeing Nabiki browsing another section of the store, decides to reveal a secret to Akane. She lowers her voice to a near whisper and then speaks.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this… but your sister… she owns part of this store…"

That takes Akane completely by surprise. "Really? I had no idea…"

"Don't tell her that I told you, she wanted me to keep it a secret…"

"How much does she own?"

"One third…"

"No wonder she's advertising the place so much… and with word of mouth, too…"

Naru grins. "That's a great way to build a customer base… and it's really cheap, too, compared to other advertising. I gave you a discount last time and I'll give you the "Nabiki rate" again tonight. Anytime you want something, just ask for that rate, okay?"

Excited about that idea, Akane nods her head happily. "I'll definitely remember that…"

"Good. Now, which robe did you want to try on?"

After glancing at the collection on the wall, Akane makes her decision. "This one… I like the color a lot… it's black with a dark purple inner lining…"

"Definitely suits you. Are you ready to try these things on?"

Akane looks around and tries to find her sister. "Sure… but where's Nabiki?"

A grin forms on Naru's face. "I just saw her sneak by while we were talking, it seems that she's picking up something else besides the swimsuit… is there something going on?"

"Maybe…" Akane says softly. "I think she got asked out by her classmate Kuno… or maybe it's something for the play she's in."

"That would explain it… she wants to feel comfortable and sexy for her date… I caught a glimpse of what she was carrying. It was a white bra and panty set, one that'd you wear under regular clothes. She's not out to seduce this guy… and it is something she could wear under a costume as well."

"I hope you're right… and that she's not out to seduce Kuno…"

Naru clears her throat and then begins walking towards the back. "Come on, Akane, let's see how this new swimsuit looks on you…" she calls out, giving Nabiki fair warning of their approach.

"How's it going in there, sis?" Akane says while knocking on the door.

"Oh, I'm fine…" Nabiki says while quickly removing her current clothing, the new bra and panty set. "Did you find something else you liked?"

Realizing that her sister is stalling, Akane plays along. "Yeah… a new black robe… it's really nice. I'm going to try it on now…"

"That sounds good… why don't you come back after that and give me your opinion on this new swimsuit…"

"Sure thing, sis…"

Naru tries not to laugh at the situation. 'I've never seen Nabiki like this… but then again, she's not very open about these things. I think her sister is much better in that area… and now that we're friends, she trusts me enough to talk about Ranma.'

Nabiki changes into her new swimsuit and spends some time posing while waiting for her sister to finish checking out her new robe. A knock on the door indicates Akane's return.

"Come in…"

The door opens and Akane and Naru step inside. Nabiki sees them enter in the mirror's reflection and turns herself around. "What do you think?"

Akane gives her opinion first. "Very nice, Nabiki… I think that blue is perfect for you."

"Looks like a snug fit, too…" Naru says, making her observation. "I'm sure the guys won't be able to stay away…"

"I'm sure you're right… men cannot help but stare at me…" Nabiki says, confident about her appearance.

"Someone's full of themselves…" Akane says to herself.

Nabiki strikes back. "Nice robe, sis… I take it that's for this weekend, too…"

"Yeah… I'm going to wear it for the first time after getting out there, I'm sure Ranma will like it…" the younger Tendo admits.

"I'm sure he will…" Naru says with a nod. "You picked the one with the horse on it… men like horses…"

"I didn't even notice that…" Akane looks down at the front of the robe near her left breast and sees a small white outline of a horse.

Nabiki immediately makes the connection between Ranma's name and the animal. "Are you marking yourself as Ranma's "wild horse", sis?"

Akane can't believe she just heard that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know as well as I do what his name means… you're out to tame a certain wild horse…"

"You have such a dirty mind, Nabiki… shame on you…" Naru says while shaking her head.

Playing that comment off, Nabiki simply says "Whatever…"

Akane turns away... and with her hand covering the horse, she thinks about how close her hand is to her heart. Her strong blush reduces to a faint one and a strange smile plays across her face… she admits something to herself. 'Maybe… maybe I am marking myself as his...'

"You've seen my swimsuit… where's yours?" Nabiki asks, breaking Akane's concentration.

Akane opens her robe and then says "I'm wearing it now… what do you think?"

"That's a lot better, sis." Nabiki says with a grin. She lets Akane respond to that before saying more.

"Thanks… I like it too. Thanks for your help Naru."

"It's not a problem. You're easy to shop for… it helps when you're open about what you want…" Naru says while indirectly teasing her friend Nabiki.

"You're not 'busting' out on this one…"

"It wasn't that bad! It was a little small, there wasn't anything hanging out…" the blushing Akane protests loudly.

"Relax little sis, I'm just pushing your buttons. It's nice to see you catching up to me and Kasumi…"

A purple aura begins forming around Akane as the feelings of anger increase. "I don't appreciate comments like that… I used to get them from Ranma and now they've stopped. I don't want you picking up where he left off…"

"Calm down Akane…" Naru says, feeling a little uneasy about what she's witnessing.

Akane vents her frustration. "I'm sorry… I just don't appreciate comments like that about my looks, I know I look great and I don't need HER telling me otherwise…"

"I was just kidding, Akane…" Nabiki carefully steps closer. "To make it up to you… why don't I pay for your swimsuit."

The purple aura around Akane begins to dissipate and the youngest Tendo extends a hand out.

"Deal…"

"Good. You were scaring me there for a second…" Nabiki admits, though downplaying the amount of time she was scared- the middle Tendo knows how much of a force her little sister is to reckon with when angered.

Naru breathes a sigh of relief. "Now that that's settled, let's get your purchases wrapped up and over to the cash register…"

"Sounds good to me…" Akane turns around and heads back to her stall. Naru clears her throat and points at the pile of clothes on the floor.

"Did you want your new set wrapped?"

Nabiki is surprised that she was caught. "What? How'd you know? I wasn't going to say anything to you until we were ready to pay…"

"I know you too well… but don't worry, I won't advertise what I saw." Naru then adds the words 'To anyone else…' in her mind to finish the sentence.

Handing the bra and panty set to Naru, Nabiki nods her head. "Thanks… and yeah, put these in a separate bag."

"Sure… I'll meet you up at the register…"

Naru closes the door and heads up front to do just that, shaking her head. 'It's a good thing that I'm not her sister… or I'd be teasing her a lot about this.'

Akane is the first one finished and brings up her selections. Naru puts the swimsuit on the side with the other bag for Nabiki and whispers the discounted price for the robe to Akane… who cannot believe the amount she just heard.

"That's not bad… I think I can afford it…" Akane says while taking out the money out of her purse. "Thanks a lot…"

Ringing up the purchase, Naru takes the money and gives Akane her change. "No problem…"

"Hurry up Nabiki, I'm ready to close…" Naru cries out, aiming her voice towards the back. "I'm sure my fiancée is wondering why I'm not home yet…"

The two hear the door open in the back of the shop and see Nabiki rush forward. "I'm coming…"

"It's about time…" Naru says, pretending to be angry and to mess with Nabiki a little.

"Here's the swimsuit… how much do I owe you for everything?"

After packing the swimsuit, Naru rings up Nabiki's order and then applies the special discount.

"Five thousand yen…"

Akane feigns amazement as Nabiki searches her wallet for a 5000 yen bill. "That's so cheap… I thought these were designer swimsuits… you must be really good friends with Naru here…"

"I am, sis, I am…" Handing the bill to Naru, the brunette grabs her two bags and begins heading for the door.

"See you two later… and thanks for stopping in!" Naru happily exclaims as the two Tendo's head out of her store. 'What a night… I guess I'd better call Keitaro and let him know where I'm at…'

Akane and Nabiki talk a little on the way home and for one of the few times in her life, Akane is glad that her sister dragged her along for one of her little shopping trips. The two sisters go their separate ways after getting upstairs… Akane quickly hides her new bag in her closet and returns to her homework, since Ranma is already asleep. Nabiki takes out her new lingerie and places it on the bed next to her outfit for tomorrow. 'Now I'm ready to go…'

Across town at Uc-chan's café, Ukyo is shutting down for the night. She locks the front door and then heads back to the sink to help Ryoga with the last of the dishes…

"I've been meaning to ask you, Ukyo, who called earlier?"

"That was mom… I was going to tell you after we finished cleaning up but now's a good a time as any. I've got good news!" Ukyo says happily.

Ryoga is extremely curious. "Yeah? What happened?"

"You and I… are going on a trip together next weekend! Mom's sending us to that hot spring resort Akane and Ranma went to."

"That does sound like fun…" Ryoga says while a saucy grin begins forming on his face. 'Ukyo and I… in a hot spring… alone…'

Ukyo notices that her boyfriend is now daydreaming about it already and decides to have some fun with him. "Since I am such a good swimmer, I think I'm going to do some swimming there…"

That catches Ryoga off guard. "Swimming?"

"Ranma did teach Akane to swim there, so the pools must be large. How well can you swim, Ryoga?"

Ryoga fills with pride. "Pretty good, actually."

"Then I'm sure you won't mind swimming with me…"

"Of course not… but aren't hot springs for… you know…" Ryoga cannot help but blush.

"Ryoga… you're not seeing me naked. I had no idea you were thinking about me like that…" Ukyo says, knowing that wasn't entirely true… and not saying that she's guilty of thinking of certain things about him as well.

"No, no… I didn't mean that… I thought we could soak together with towels on… I didn't mean naked…" Ryoga says, clarifying what he'd like to do.

"Maybe… if you're good. I'll see how comfortable I feel with everything after we get there… I don't want to rush this…"

Ryoga shakes his head. "Me neither. I care for you too much… and I don't want to lose you, Ukyo…"

"Neither do I…"

The two hug each other for several minutes, neither one wanting to let go. Ukyo places a kiss on his cheek and then the two let go of each other.

"Let's go to bed and we'll talk about it more in the morning. Mom said she'd run the place while we were gone, so I won't lose any business…"

"That's very nice of her… and yeah, let's get some sleep. It's been a long day…"

"You got that right, sugar…"

Ukyo and Ryoga change for bed and then go to sleep, both dreaming about a new fantasy- hot springs.

End Part A

Start Part B

Thanks to Daniel/excel 92 for the preread on this part.

The crack of dawn on Sunday finds Akane and Ranma awake and sipping on some tea downstairs, courtesy of the early rising Kasumi.

"I can't believe that you're up this early…" Ranma says to the elder Tendo.

"I always get up at this hour. I want to make sure that you two are ready for your morning jogs on weekends…" is her reply.

"Thanks, sis… Ranma and I have made this a routine… and it's fun." Akane says while glancing at Ranma.

"That's nice… you've made time to spend with each other. I'm happy to see that…"

Both teens nod their heads and then finish their tea. "We're off, sis… see you later!"

Kasumi waves to Akane, who waves back as she leaves the room. Ranma and Akane get their shoes at the door and are soon on their way, doing their usual jogging route. Near the park, the halfway point, the pair decide to race each other to the bench… it's a close finish.

"I got yah!" Ranma says as he touches the bench, just a few seconds before Akane does.

"Just barely…"

The two teens pause to catch their breaths… and then sit down on the bench.

"Not bad, tomboy…" Ranma says while tilting his head back and looking up at the blue sky and the wispy clouds.

"Thanks… I'm getting better. I'm sure I'll be ready for some more swimming lessons…"

Ranma grins. "Yeah… that's true. At least you're not drowning when I let go…"

"That's not funny, Ranma…" Akane says before gently punching Ranma in the arm. "It's one of my weaknesses… like my cooking…"

"I wouldn't worry about it, you're already doin' good wit' the swimming… I'm sure you'll learn how to cook… without putting anyone in danger…"

Akane sighs and then softly says: "At least I can boil water right…"

Seeing how distressed she is about this, Ranma gently places a hand on her shoulder. "Akane… don't get depressed about it…"

"I'll try…" is her softly spoken reply as her eyes are drawn to the passing clouds. "Maybe I should think about something else… like volleyball…"

"Yeah, ain't the season for that startin' soon?"

Akane smiles. "I can't wait… it'll be nice to be playing something again, since the gymnastics season is over…"

"You just go from one thing to the next… you're quite the athlete…" Ranma admits out loud.

"Thanks, Ranma… I do like sports. I guess it's another form of training for me… baseball, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics… it's enough to keep a girl in shape…"

Ranma nods his head. "I knew it was more then your martial arts training that kept you in shape… and now I realize what the other things are…"

"Well… I think the same goes for you, I've seen you play baseball and basketball here… that's something new for you, right?"

"Yeah, we didn't play anythin' like that while on the road… but sports make for an interesting challenge…"

"Definitely." Akane has another thought. "I remember when you first came here… we were in P.E. and I noticed you staring at me… I'll bet it was more then me in a gym uniform you were staring at…"

A small grin forms on Ranma's face as he prepares to admit something he hasn't before. "I… liked the fact that you're athletic… it really goes wit' that 'tomboy' theme you got going…"

Akane puts her hand in Ranma's and holds it. "Ah-ha… so you liked that right from the beginning. I knew it… deep inside, I knew there was more to you then meets the eye. I'm glad I got a chance to see it…"

"Me too… though I think sometimes you're too much tomboy to handle…"

Feigning ignorance, Akane says only one word. "Me?"

"Yeah… dealin' with girls is still new for me, it's not like the art… I don't have lots of practice…"

"Well, I don't have much practice, either… I had to deal with Kuno's declaration and the result of that before you came, so I really wasn't looking for my '_baka_'…"

"At least we both know what we like now…" Ranma says before squeezing her hand. "Each other…"

Resting her head on Ranma's shoulder, Akane has a very simple response to that statement. "Yeah…"

The pair rest for a while and watch the clouds go by… there's really no one in the park so people watching is not an option. About twenty minutes later, a familiar set of people walks by in the distance…

"Is that my sister?" Akane says, straining her eyes to try and get a positive lock on the figure.

"Could be… looks who's walking behind her…" Ranma says while observing Tatweki Kuno following the brunette.

"Looks like they're headed towards that French restaurant… maybe it's a breakfast date?"

"It could be… and he can afford to eat that stuff… you remember how much the bill was when I fought…"

Akane interrupts that thought. "Don't remind me… that still creeps me out, the way they eat with those long tongues."

The curious pair sneak closer and stay out of sight as the follow their quarry… who do indeed stop at a French restaurant.

"It looks like our plan worked…" Akane says in a whisper to Ranma.

"Good… let's get out of here… I don't wanna be accused of being like Nabiki… by Nabiki…" Ranma says while gently tugging on Akane's sleeve. "Besides, you and I can train together with less interruptions back at the dojo…"

"That's true… let's get out of here…"

The pair move away and head back to the Tendo dojo for some training, leave Nabiki and Kuno to their date…

"I've always wanted to come here… but it was too expensive…" Nabiki notes after looking at the menu.

"No cost is too much for you, fair Nabiki…" is the warm reply back from Kuno while picking out his breakfast choices.

A slight blush plays across Nabiki's face… it's a few moments before she can reply back.

"Thanks…"

"'Tis not a problem. I appreciate your rising so early for this occasion…"

Nabiki nods her head. "I normally don't on a Sunday… that's more of Ranma and Akane's style… but I can make an occasional exception. I'm eager to see those new props- you said that they'd arrived this morning?"

After lowering his menu, Kuno smiles back at his date. "Yes, and I think that you will be most pleased with my choices in that matter. I expect this to be a successful venture, don't you?"

"Of course… you picked the best looking woman in school for your lead actress… and a costume to go with it… I can see lots of profits with this play. We'll have to set up popcorn and soda vendors as well… to really cash in fully."

A wide grin forms on Kuno's face. "You have quite the sharp mind when it comes to money matters…"

"Of course" Nabiki says matter-of-factly. "Those are my forte…"

Before Kuno can reply back to that, the waiter comes over and takes their respective orders. The two engage in small talk while waiting for the food- most of it surrounds the upcoming play but a few personal questions slip in… and both learn a little more about the other.

Breakfast arrives and Nabiki digs in like there's no tomorrow, causing some slight embarrassment to Kuno.

"You eat like you've not had any food for days…"

"It's good… and I'm really hungry. I guess Ranma's eating habits have rubbed off on me a little…" Nabiki says with a shrug.

"Ranma… yes, I do remember hearing about that habit before… but please enjoy the food…"

Nabiki slows down a little and mentally chides herself for acting like that. 'Why am I in such a hurry? This isn't bad… talking with him. The food is very tasty, too… what am I afraid of?'

After seeing her slow down, Kuno decides to tease her a little. "That's better…"

Nabiki rolls her eyes and says nothing, finishing her breakfast in silence. Kuno finishes eating his food, taking an occasional glance at the brunette on the other side of the table. 'She is beautiful… she's got a unique personality, that's for sure…'

While the breakfast date is going on, Sasuke is busy assembling the new props and placing them into a transport wagon for transport to the school on Monday.

'Master Kuno is counting on me… I hope his date is going okay…'

It isn't long before the two arrive back at the Kuno estate… Nabiki sees Sasuke working and walks over to investigate…

"What do you think, Miss Tendo? Will these props work for your play?" the ninja asks as Nabiki approaches.

After looking over the props inside the wagon and those outside, Nabiki gives her answer. "They look fine to me…"

"I'm glad they meet with your approval…" Kuno says with a grin.

"By the way… since I'm here… you won't mind if I put my costume on again for a while…"

"No, please go right ahead. It is still hanging on the wall, right where you left it…"

After nodding her head, Nabiki turns and leaves… Kuno cannot believe his luck. 'She appears to like me… and what I've done for the class… things are going well so far…'

"Good work, Sasuke… the young maiden liked your work…"

The ninja bows his head. "Thank you, sir. I'm glad… and it's good to see you out and about again… with a clear mind…"

That comment gets Kuno thinking for a moment. He silently nods his head back and then says softly "Yes… it is quite refreshing…"

While the pair outside talk, Nabiki is Kuno's room once again, changing into her costume. After doing so, she poses in the mirror and gazes at her reflection.

'Looking good… I just love this costume! This new Kuno really isn't bad… and he doesn't really mind what I've done before- he seems fascinated by me.'

The middle Tendo begins walking around the room, gazing at the pictures of herself that Sasuke took. Her eyes notice something sticking out of a white envelope on his desk… and after a closer look, she notices that it has her name on it.

'What is this, more pictures of me?'

Nabiki's curiosity gets the best of her and she takes the picture into her hand and looks at the front side. It slips from her hands almost right away…

Anger begins to build as she thinks aloud about what she just saw. "What the hell? How'd he get pictures of me in that? I've only worn that once… when I was talking to Akane after we bought lingerie that last time…"

A knocking on the door is heard a moment later… signaling Kuno's arrival.

"Are you decent, fair Nabiki?"

Bucking her anger for the moment, she takes a deep breath and then says "Come in"

The door opens and Kuno sees her standing by his desk… her face appearing to be quite red.

"Is something wrong?" he says while closing the door. "Your face is red…"

"Yes, something's wrong…" Nabiki picks up the fallen picture and holds it in front of Kuno. "Where the hell did you get this picture from?"

"I got that and the others in this envelope here…" Kuno takes the white envelope and holds it up. "Your sister and Ranma gave me this… they said that you were too embarrassed to submit your picture entry in person…"

Not believing that she just got swindled by her own sister and Ranma… Nabiki utters the only word that seems to come to mind at that moment. "WHAT?"

"I would not lie about such things… these are quite telling pictures…"

"I'm sure they are, me in that…" The red blush on Nabiki's face grows by the second. "Never mind…"

"In all fairness, I was considering you for the part in the play before I got these… though they did influence my choice a little… in all honesty…" Kuno says, deciding the best course of action was to be honest with his friend… which would help avoid complications later.

"I… don't know what to say. My own sister… sold me out. Damn it, how'd she get so smart?"

"I had no idea that you did not approve of this… they said it was for your entry… and that you were feeling… lonely as of late…"

"Of course I am…" Nabiki suddenly realizes what she said out loud and places her hands over her mouth.

"I apologize… for any embarrassment…"

Nabiki steps back and takes several deep breaths before taking her hands off of her mouth. "Kuno…"

"Yes?" is the reply back with some slight hesitation, the young man not knowing what to expect next.

After some internal debate, the brunette speaks her mind like she's never done before. "The date… it was fine. The props are fine… the costume is fine… even the pictures are fine… but I need an honest answer… do you like me for more then what you see in those pictures? Do you want more then just my body?"

Silently, Kuno walks towards her. Every step that he takes makes her heart beat faster and faster… soon he's standing right in front of her.

"No… it is more than desire of that sort that I feel for you…"

"Oh…" is about all Nabiki can manage to say.

After a few awkward moments, Kuno decides to make a move and gently embraces the brunette in front of him. She blushes and unsure of how to respond to this action… and to these feelings inside…

'He's holding me… and it feels good. I've never felt quite like this before…'

Kuno thinks about the woman he's holding as her head moves to look up at him.

'She truly is a goddess on earth… and those eyes…'

"Kuno?"

"Yes?"

"T-thank you… for everything…" Nabiki says, struggling to get the words out just right.

Gently releasing the young woman from his embrace, Kuno takes a few steps backward. "It was my pleasure…"

A silent nod is the response to that before Nabiki asks another question. "Can I borrow this costume? I'd like to take it home with me…"

Kuno wholeheartedly agrees with the idea. "Of course, it is yours and was custom made for you…"

"Thanks… I'll be changing and then heading out… we'll talk tomorrow in school?"

"Of course…"

Tatewaki bows and then leaves the room, allowing Nabiki a chance to change back into her regular street clothes. He sits outside on the porch and watches Sasuke load up the remaining props.

Back in Kuno's room, Nabiki changes back into her street clothes and carefully places the dress back into the plastic wrapping in which it came. She walks over to his desk and quickly thumbs through the offending envelope, taking mental stock of its contents before departing for home, dress en tow.

About twenty five minutes later, after making a brief stop in room to change into her costume, Nabiki heads out to the dojo, where she wants to do two things- confront her sister and Ranma about the pictures… and show off her new costume.

"Ahem…" the middle Tendo clears her throat and then makes a pose. "What do you think?"

Akane and Ranma turn around and look at the costume… the pigtailed martial artist cannot help but blush a little at the view. Of course, Akane notices this and elbows her fiancée… causing Nabiki to grin.

"Even Ranma has a reaction to this… I guess it really is sexy, like Kuno-baby said it is."

Ranma wisely says nothing and Akane says a few words. "It looks nice… is that the costume for the play?"

"Yes, it is… but I was amazed at how well he made this… the proportions are all perfect…"

Akane is silent for a moment and then shrugs her shoulders. "Either he guessed right… or he found out from someone… he does have the money to do that… and you know that money talks…"

"It certainly does… but sometimes free is just as dangerous..." Nabiki says, not totally believing that she just said that.

Akane's stare meets her sisters and there's a moment of silence before Nabiki gets to the point.

"I know… it was you two… that give him those pictures of me…" the middle Tendo says, not concealing her anger very well.

Of course, Akane's response back isn't well concealed either… she's quite vocal to say the least…

"What? You're upset about some photos of a revealing nature being sold to Kuno? Photos of you in revealing clothes... that were taken by someone you trusted NOT to take advantage of you?"

Akane's voice had raised to the point that Nabiki was very surprised that everyone in the house had not come running to check on her. However, after listening to Akane, Nabiki had the decency to look ashamed as she was getting mad over the same things that she had done to her little sister, and Ranma, many times. Ranma was about to yell at Nabiki, but in the times he had spent with Akane it allowed him to recognize when Akane was very upset. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he gently turned her around.

"I hated it! I hated it that my own sister was taking pictures of me... and... and selling them to every damn pervert in the school!" Her voice suddenly hitched as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Every day... every day I could hear them talking about me... about my... my breasts... and my... my... dear God why the hell did they have to talk about that!" She began to cry more at that as Ranma pulled her closer.

Nabiki looked at her crying sister and for the first time in a long time she felt remorse over what she had done.

"Do you... do you know what it's like knowing… that some perverted boy is thinking about you... and... and... touching himself!" Her body trembled even more at that. "I... I caught one of the bastards doing that... calling my name in some closet at the school! When I saw what he was doing... I... I ran away..."

"Akane..." Ranma said softly as he held her.

"I just couldn't stand it. I... I wanted to kill him."

That declaration had both Nabiki's and Ranma's eyes opened wide. "But I didn't do anything... I just... ran away..." She cried some more and with each tear that fell, Nabiki felt worse that she had before.

"And then... and then you came along..." Akane said looking up at Ranma. "I guess I didn't help things much did I?" he said softly.

"No _baka_... you didn't. But... but I've changed... I want... I want to... to be..." she blushed heavily, and seeing her blush, Ranma's own awakening imagination ran wild causing him to blush. But before either could say a word about it, Nabiki's voice could be heard.

"I... I'm sorry..." Nabiki said softly as she moved to bow low before her sister. "I... never thought that much about it I guess... I never wanted to hurt you like this. I... I'm sorry." As she spoke, tears began appearing in Nabiki's eyes, tears that the former Ice Queen did not even try to wipe away.

Akane's hold on Ranma increases as she lets her emotions flow. Ranma does his best comfort her, gently rubbing her back and caressing her hair… things that made her feel good.

While Ranma tries to comfort his fiancée, Nabiki observes what he's doing and thinks about what she sees…

'He's really doing his best to confort her… and he didn't even snap back at me… I hurt him, too… even worse then Akane… some of those pictures left little to the imagination…'

Not able to take much more of this, Nabiki makes her exit. "I'm sorry…"

Ranma watches her leave and realizes that she's sincere about that. He gently massages Akane's shoulders for a few moments and the young woman looks up… and sees tears in his eyes, too…

"Akane… I don't like seeing people cry… especially you…"

"I know… but thank you for helping me…" she says as she tries to smile. "I think something good will come of this… I'm not trying to change her, but what she did to us hurt…"

"Yeah… I have no idea how many pictures of us she took since I got here…" Ranma says, trying to bring a smile to Akane's face with a half-hearted attempt at a joke.

"I'd hate to see the film and development fees…" Akane says with a grin.

"Yeah…"

"Ranma… hold me for a while… and then we'll go get lunch…"

"Sure…" Ranma says before pulling her back against him. Both teens feel comforted by the presence of the other…

While Ranma and Akane comfort each other, Nabiki is inside the kitchen, digging up a snack for herself. Kasumi walks into the room and is surprised by her sisters' outfit.

"That's a… unique costume Nabiki…"

"Oh, Kasumi…" Nabiki turns around and closes the door to the refrigerator. "Thanks… what do you think? It was custom made by Kuno…"

Kasumi looks at the front of her sisters' costume and notices the unique design… and how much of her upper body is showing…

"It's quite… revealing…"

"Oh come on, sis… it's not that bad… but I do have the figure for something like this…" Nabiki says before grinning.

"Are you sure that's…"

"Proper?" Nabiki says, finishing her sisters' sentence. "Maybe not… for the setting of the play… but sex appeal sells…"

Kasumi blushes. "I suppose…"

"I just had an idea…"

"Yes?" Kasumi says, not sure if she really wants to know.

"I think you'd look great in something like this… maybe you could act out something for a certain doctor…" Nabiki says while nudging her sister.

The blush on Kasumi's face grows in intensity as she gives in to the thought and picture herself in Nabiki's outfit…

'Oh my… I'd be showing off my behind… and my chest… to him…'

"I see you like the idea…" Nabiki says, making an observation based on her sisters' lack of response.

"I… I…" Kasumi covers her face with her hands. A few moments later, the fingers move slightly and reveal her eyes… the curious middle Tendo moves closer.

"Yes, sis?"

"Maybe…" is about all the blushing woman will say before making her exit, heading back up to her room. She stands in front of her mirror and thinks about what Nabiki said to her.

'This is the second time she's done this to me… made me think about these things… but inside… I do want Doctor Tofu… I wish he'd notice me… which he would I'm sure with an outfit like hers… it'd go great with that special lingerie I was wearing the last time she teased me like this…'

Kasumi's eyebrows go up and then the oldest Tendo shakes her head and dismisses the thought.

"I think Nabiki is influencing me too much… I nearly said yes…"

Kasumi lies down on her bed and looks up at the ceiling…

"I do believe her… but I'm not ready for measures like that. I'm not like her…" the oldest Tendo says softly to herself while drifting off to sleep… daydreaming of Doctor Tofu.

After eating a quick snack downstairs, Nabiki heads back upstairs and changes out of her costume, carefully hanging it up. She admires herself in the mirror…

'That set I bought last night was nice and comfortable, just like I thought it would be. It worked for the regular clothes and the costume… I was confident and sexy today. Kuno-baby certainly took notice… I guess I'll have to thank Ranma and Akane. I hurt them… and they still want to see me happy… even after all that…'

Nabiki makes a mental note to try and be nicer to her sister… and to retire her camera… at least when it comes to them…

The rest of the day goes by without incident. The new school week doesn't bring much out of the ordinary to the inhabitants. An anxious Cologne awaits her great-granddaughter's return from China…

Thursday morning brings the couple back to Nerima… they immediately head inside and close the door.

"You're back…" Cologne says as she hops over on her stick. "How was the trip?"

"It was fun… my mother was very happy to see me… and she really liked Shampoo. Now that she got to meet her in person…"

"Shampoo very happy to meet mother-in-law…"

"That's good… how is she doing?"

"She's doing okay for the moment… I'm still worried about her health, though…" Mousse says with a hint of sadness in his voice. "We almost ran into someone else… some of Shampoo's friends…"

"No friends of Shampoo…" the Amazon shakes her head. "Mousse kidding… Shampoo see Pink and Link… almost spotted…"

"Oh…" Cologne becomes immediately concerned. "That was a dangerous mission… but if you weren't spotted, then we're safe… for now."

Nodding his head, Mousse acknowledges that thought. "I agree…"

"Shampoo tired… long day…"

"You two unpack and take it easy… I'll take care of things down here. If you're up to it, you can help me at dinner…"

Shampoo happily nods her head and grabs her suitcase. Mousse bows and then does the same thing, leaving the Amazon matriarch alone on the floor of the restaurant.

'It seems like that was a close call… but at least he got to visit his mother. I forgot to mention the note I received this morning… it can wait until later…'

Later that day, after the dinner rush is over, Cologne hands the note to Shampoo… who eagerly reads the note…

"Amazon sister invite Shampoo over… she say that new training uniforms are in…"

"Training uniforms?" a curious Mousse asks aloud.

"Yes, all Amzon sisters receiving special training… want to learn how Akane won in big battle…"

"Hmm… I see. And who will be teaching these techniques?" Cologne asks, wondering who the instructor would be.

"Perverted old man teach techniques to Akane… Shampoo have no choice but to take training through him…"

"Be careful… I'm sure he's not going to keep his hands to himself…" Mousse says with a cautionary note of voice.

A slight blush forms on the young Amazon warrior and she pulls her _airen_ into a very intimate embrace. She whispers a few words in his ear.

"_Airen_ only one that get to touch Shampoo… no worries…"

"Okay… good…" the now blushing Mousse says back.

After a gentle parting kiss on the cheek, Shampoo lets go and heads over to the Tendo house, leaving her husband and great-grandmother to run the restaurant and debate the wisdom of such training…

Up in Akane's room, the youngest Tendo looks at the small stack of boxes in the center of her room, Each one of the five boxes has a name tag attached to it…

'I'm almost afraid to open the box… it's a special order from Happosai… and despite what he said, I just know it's going to be _ecchi_ in some way…'

A gentle knock on the door signals the arrival of another Amazon sister. "Are you in there, Akane?"

"Ukyo… come on in."

The brunette chef opens the door and steps inside, closing the door behind her. "What's with all the boxes, sugar?"

"Out training uniforms… though I'm a little afraid to open them."

Ukyo thinks this dilemma through for a moment and then comes up with a solution. "Hmm… you think the old man is up to something… why don't we wait until the rest of the girls arrive… then we'll open the boxes…."

"That sounds good… but Ranma won't be back for over thirty minutes- he had to go with Kasumi to the market for groceries…"

"I think we can handle it without him… let's just wait until Kodachi and Shampoo arrive…"

The pair wait and it isn't long before the Black Rose arrives followed soon thereafter by Shampoo. The four women take the boxes with their names and place them in their lap, leaving Ranma's in the middle of the room.

"Who's going first?" Kodachi asks, showing some of her worry about the contents of the box.

"Shampoo will… Shampoo not afraid of surprise…"

After taking a deep breath, Shampoo starts removing the ribbon off of the box. After accomplishing that, she removes the lid and places it on the floor next to her.

"Shampoo see new uniform… look like shirt… and shorts…"

The other three look inside the now open box and shrug their shoulders.

"It doesn't look too bad…" Ukyo says.

"It appears to have some writing on it…" Kodachi says, noticing two English letters written on it.

"Shampoo hold up shirt… so all sisters can see .."

After saying that, the young woman holds up the white shirt. All four girls read the words on the shirt aloud….

"Hooters of Nerima…"

The brunette is the first to react. "What the hell is a Hooters? And why is there an owl on the shirt?"

Akane sighs aloud. "I've heard of the place… but there isn't one here in Nerima. Must be wishful thinking by the old man…"

"Akane, what is this place?" Kodachi says before looking at the small pair of shorts that Shampoo is holding up.

"Leave it to the old man to make up something like this… Hooters is a restaurant that's known for it's wings… and busty waitresses in tight fitting outfits like this. The white top is for us to show off our chests… and the shorts…"

"Our butts. Great, just great… the old man wants to live out another one of his sick fantasies with us…." Ukyo says before rolling her eyes.

Seeing a positive side to this, the purple haired Amazon grins. "Shampoo want to try outfit out… could be sexy for _airen_…"

"Leave it to Shampoo to think of that…" Akane says softly to herself. 'Still… she is thinking about other uses… I bet my _baka_ would like to see me in this- I'll see how he reacts…'

Kodachi sighs aloud. "I guess we should change so when Ranma comes back, we can get started…"

"Kodachi's right… let's change and see how we look in these… outfits…" Akane says that last part with a soft sigh, trying to think about the only redeeming quality of an outfit like this… which causes her to realize something.

'I'm becoming more perverted all the time… but at least it's over someone I really want…'

After helping out Kasumi with a grocery run, Ranma heads upstairs and knocks on Akane's door.

"Hold on…" a voice calls from within.

The door opens a little and a box pushed through before it shuts again… Ranma wonders what's going on.

"Hey, what's wit' the box?"

"It's your uniform… go change…" Akane says in return.

Picking up the box, Ranma looks at it cautiously. "Oh, so he finally delivered 'em, huh…"

"On second thought, hold on a second Ranma… I have something else you're going to need…"

Wondering what his fiancée means, Ranma patiently waits outside the door. A few moments later, the door opens and Akane's hand appears, along with something else…

"What's the bra for?" Ranma says, gazing at the white garment.

"Trust me, you're going to need it. You don't want to be bouncing around for the old man, do you?"

"Hell no…" Ranma says before grabbing the garment. "I'll be right back…"

On the way to his room, the pigtailed martial artist cannot help but wonder about the contents of the box. 'It must really be somethin' showy… if Akane would go through the trouble of giving me one of her bras…'

After making a pit stop in the bathroom for a quick splash of cold water, Ranma-chan closes the door and opens the box…

"What the hell is Hooters? It says Hooters of Nerima… I ain't never heard of such a place…"

After shrugging her shoulders, Ranma-chan undresses and puts the shorts on first… and immediately notices how snug they are.

'Leave it to the old pervert to make us wear somethin' like this… I'm sure the top won't be any better…'

The redhead reaches for the bra and puts it on, struggling a little with fastening the back clasps.

'I don't wear these things too often… but the old man's gonna get enough of a show, I ain't give him no more then I have ta… hmm. This is kinda tight…'

After some slight adjustments, Ranma-chan puts on the white top and gazes at herself in the mirror.

'I can't believe I'm doing this… wearing this outfit… but I guess it's what it takes to learn these new techniques. I'm sure the others aren't likin' these uniforms, either…'

Akane hears a knock on her door again and she turns and looks at her Amazon sisters.

"Are you girls ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be…" Ukyo comments to no one in particular.

The youngest Tendo opens the door and prepares to join Ranma-chan outside in the hallway. The five women head down to the dojo, some nervous, some pissed off at the costume… but all have one common thought- get this over with as soon as possible.

Nabiki silently heads over to the dojo herself and climbs up on the roof to a special spot she had made earlier, in order to "view" activity inside without being seen.

'I really wanted to take my camera… I had to fight that urge. I'll just enjoy the show for myself… I'm sure these five will put on a good show…'

To be continued in Chapter 16: Training with the Happy Owl

I hope that you liked the chapter and pardon the wait, I had no laptop for almost a month, it threw off my whole schedule.

I'm running an art contest and I've had two people draw their takes on what the five Ranma girls would look like in Hooters outfits. Check these two links out for better visualization of the upcoming scene in the dojo!

#1- lilineko./art/Girls-of-Ranma-HOOTERS-theme-89129459

#2- keidashu./art/New-Training-Uniforms-89209850

I also had someone draw that scene when Ranma was taking pics of Nabiki (and Akane) in their lingerie- check that out here! grandchaossr./art/Voyeur-Akane-and-Nabiki-88152999

Don't forget "Hooters make you happy!" Until next time…


	16. Chapter 16: Training with the Happy Owl

Chapter 16: Training with the Happy Owl

Author Notes: Time to continue the wonderful saga that is this story! Let's see what Happy has in store for the five young women…

I don't own the song "Brickhouse" by the Commodores. That's from the "Commodores" album of 1977 and is property of Motown records.

Thanks to my friend Steven for his help with some of the ideas and dialogue for Part A+B. Thanks also goes out to my friend Dennis for his help with prereading part B.

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Part A

The five women, donned in their "uniforms", head into the Tendo dojo.

"Anyone here?" Akane calls out, wondering where the old man is at.

Happosai instantly recognizes the voice and calls out- "Ah, you're right on time. Come in, girls…"

After looking around for a moment, the five walk to the center of the dojo and begin looking for their "teacher"…

"I'll be ready in a few minutes… I have to review the list of moves again to refresh my memory…"

After hearing that, the five hone in on the voice and realize the old man is behind a screen, his silhouette clearly visible.

"Move list? I thought you said there weren't many moves in this art…" Akane says, remembering back to some of her prior training with Happosai.

"Oh no, there's a lot more… I just showed you all I could in the short time provided… it obviously worked…" Happosai says with a chuckle.

Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi glance at Akane, causing the young woman to blush. After a moment, however, they shrug their shoulders and inwardly admit that they probably wouldn't have gone through such lengths to win… getting taught by Happosai was quite a… dedicated move on Akane's part.

"How about you five loosen up and stretch until I'm ready… let me play some music to help…"

Once again, the old man laughs and the five women begin to get concerned. 'He's up to somethin', I just know it… he's laughing too much…' is the thought passing through Ranma-chan's mind.

After shrugging their shoulders, the "students" begin stretching and loosening up, all the while watching out for surprise attacks from the lecherous old man and are a little surprised when he doesn't try and grope them…

A short while later, music begins playing… and all five women look towards the source of the sound…

"What is that?" Ukyo asks aloud.... but gets no response.

Whistling

"_Oww… she's a brick… house, she's mighty mighty, just letting it all hang out."_

Ranma-chan instantly recognizes the term and looks at Akane… who quickly places her hand over Ranma's mouth.

"Not now, Ranma…"

"_She's a brick… house. I like ladies stacked, and that's a fact, ain't holding nothing back…"_

"_Oww…she's a brick… house…well put together, everybody knows… this is how the story goes..."_

"_She knows she's got everything… that a woman needs… to get a man… yeah, yeah…"_

"_How can she lose, that stuff she use… thirty six, twenty four, thirty six, oh what a winning hand…"_

"_She's a brick… house, she's mighty mighty, just letting it all hang out…"_

"_She's a brick… house. I like ladies stacked, that's a fact, ain't holding nothing back…"_

"_Oh, she's a brick… house. Yeah, she's the one, the only one, built like an Amazon…"_

After hearing that, Shampoo exclaims- "Hi-yah! Song too too right… Amazons very built…"

The other four women roll their eyes… and Happosai mumbles to himself… "You have no idea…"

"_The clothes she wear, her sexy ways… make an old man wish for younger days… yeah, yeah…"_

"_She knows she's built and knows how to please… show 'nuff to knock a strong man to his knees…"_

"_Cause she's a brick… house, yeah she's mighty mighty, just letting it all hang out…"_

"_Brick… house. I like ladies stacked, and that's a fact, ain't holding nothing back…yow…"_

_Background music_

"_Brick… house, yeah she's mighty mighty, just letting it all hang out…"_

"_Ow… brick… house. She's the one, the only one, built like an Amazon…"_

_Background music_

"_Ow… a brick… house…"_

After the song ends, the five women stand and look at the old man, who's just emerged from behind the screen, walking quite casually…

"That's one of my favorite songs from the United States… I really agree with that one line talking about an old man wishing for younger days…"

"Oh, I'm sure…" Ranma-chan mumbles under her breath. "Enough with the music, let's get started!"

"Patience, patience. You and the other four "brickhouses" need to focus on control…" Happosai says, chiding Ranma-chan.

Ukyo looks down and wonders to herself. 'Am I really one of these brick houses? Or is the old man just saying that…' Seeing how much this outfit accentuated her body, Ukyo decides to confront this issue later.

Up on the roof, Nabiki cannot believe that the old man picked such a song… 'It did sound interesting, though. This brick house can definitely bring strong men to their knees… heh. I guess it's time now to see what these moves are really about…'

"Before we begin, I have just have one thing to say about those uniforms…" Happosai says while leering at the five women and their outfits.

"And what's that?" Akane asks defiantly.

_"SWEETO!"_

"Yeah, yeah…" the youngest Tendo says, quickly getting tired of the ogling by the old man.

"Akane will be my assistant, since has mastered some of the moves already, as you girls have obviously seen..."

A few "Hmmphs" are heard, Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi don't want to be reminded of their earlier loss to Akane... yet again- it's still a sore subject for them. Happosai continues...

"Ranma, try and attack Akane and she will demonstrate the first technique, the "Short Range Hentai Block"

Akane walks over next to Happosai and then gets into a defensive stance. She nods at Happosai and then he yells "Go!"

"I ain't gonna hold back, Akane... here I come!" With that, Ranma-chan rushed at Akane...

The other three girls watched as Akane demonstrated the technique and remembered when she used it on them... the feelings that it caused would be distracting for any woman...

Ranma-chan couldn't believe what just happened... and she couldn't help but be red in the face. She had been groped by Happosai before... but she never had her nipples pinched. She thought to herself... 'That was more then a simple block... it was a grab and a pinch... and it made me feel... weird...'

"I don't remember you using that, Akane..."

Akane was quick to reply. "I used it after you ran off..."

"Oh..."

Ukyo speaks up. "I can see why these techniques wouldn't be taught to men, they'd look like perverts if they used them..." With that comment, she looked over at Happosai... and he just smiled.

"There are some exceptions, my dear..." Happosai said in his own defense. "I want each of you to try and attack Akane... watch what she does carefully. The next thing I will teach you is how to counter that block..."

Kodachi decides to volunteer to go next, despite her reservations about the "ecchi" nature of these maneuvers.

"Go ahead..." is the quick response by Happosai, eager to have them learn the basics... the advanced techniques he would have to teach personally... with "hands-on" experience. The other girls were too busy watching and/or fighting to notice the huge smirk on the old man's face...

Another hour is spent practicing all of the basic techniques- Akane is happy to demonstrate them... her reasoning is... 'The faster they learn, the quicker we get revenge...'

After taking a short break from their training session, the girls stand up again and see Happosai lost in deep thought, mumbling something about "advanced techniques..."

"Sounds like they're about to learn some kind of advanced techniques... I don't think any of them have even seen those... from what he's shown so far during this session. Could be interesting... " Nabiki said to herself softly while waiting for the part of the training to begin.

Happosai suddenly comes out of his meditation and addresses the five women. "I think you all are ready for one of the advanced techniques... I'll be demonstrating this one..."

All five women stop and look at Happosai, his last statement immediately makes them feel threatened. Being touched by a fellow girl was one thing... having the pervert touch them was another...

"Can I have a volunteer?" Happosai said with a grin. All of the girls took a few steps back... except for Ranma-chan, who stepped forward.

"So, Ranma, you're first. Prepare yourself."

Ranma-chan turns around and realizes the others have backed off. The other students look at Ranma-chan and notice that she stepped forward when they stepped back. All four are surprised by her volunteering to be first. Akane is impressed by what her fiancée just did, he would always be there to protect her from harm. Ukyo realized that Ranma indeed cared for her as a friend and wanted to protect her. Shampoo and Kodachi are also happy that their 'sister' was looking out for them as well.

The main reason behind Ranma's desire to volunteer was indeed a desire to protect the others. Akane had suffered enough at his hands to learn these techniques in the first place... he would forever be impressed with her determination to win and be with him. Akane did love him, that was the reason behind all of her suffering... and Ranma didn't want his love to suffer any more. Ukyo was her friend and sister, he didn't want to see her get violated. Same went for Shampoo and Kodachi, her Amazon sisters- she didn't hate them and wouldn't wish Happosai's "Hands-on" teaching to anyone...

Ranma-chan turned to face Happosai again. "Ready!"

"Good. This technique is called "Fabric Failure"...

Up on the roof, Nabiki's eyebrows go up. 'Now that sounds really perverted… about time he got to the good stuff…'

A sarcastic comment immediately comes to mind and Akane looks down at the old man. "Sounds like something that you'd come up with..."

"Oh, I can't take all the credit for this move… I had totally forgotten about it until I looked at that list of mine…" Happosai says, ignoring the sarcasm from Akane. Snapping his fingers, the old man decides to get the training back on track. "Back to business. Ranma, using the techniques you just learned, try and block my attack..."

Ranma-chan quickly took a defensive posture. "All right, show me this technique!"

With that, Happosai charges the redhead. Ranma-chan blocks his first attack... and his second. She manages to grab and throw the old man after the second attack failed and feels quite confident...

"You've learned well, Ranma... but I still have a few more tricks to show you..." Happosai then jumped in the air and tried a direct aerial assault on Ranma-chan. She dodged it... or so she thought. A ripping sound fills the air... and then Ranma-chan feels a sudden chill. The other girls gasp at what just happened. Ranma-chan's entire outfit was just shredded, leaving her in her bra and panties.

The hidden observer on the roof has a few thoughts about what she just witnessed.

'Woah… that's definitely high on the perverted moves scale… I'm glad he hasn't used that on us…'

"What the hell was that?" Ranma-chan says while trying not to shiver, the heat never seemed to work properly in the dojo during the cooler times of the year.

Happosai replies non-chalantly. "Oh, just a humiliation move... it doesn't really damage your opponent, but the shock value is tremendous. Most women would be reluctant to fight in their underwear..."

Kodachi, Ukyo, and Shampoo are suddenly thankful that Akane was not taught this move... if she had used it against them, they would have been fighting in their underwear in front of the huge crowd that had assembled for the fight. The embarrassment would have been overwhelming...

"Who's next?" Happosai gleefully stated. When there was no audible reply, he decided to pick someone. "Akane, why don't you try and defend against me? It shouldn't be too hard, since you're the one with the most experience here..."

Akane immediately feels nervous... she had too much experience with Happosai and his perverted techniques. Knowing him, however, if she refused, he wouldn't demonstrate the remaining techniques...

"Okay..." Akane said as she walked away from the other three girls and towards Happosai. Ranma-chan placed a hand on her shoulder...

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Akane?" Ranma-chan asked out of concern for his fiancée...

Akane whispered back in Ranma-chan's ear. "It'll be fine... and we can't quit now. He hasn't taught all of the techniques yet..."

"Oh..." Was about all Ranma-chan could say in return, Akane's determination had impressed her yet again. What Ranma-chan didn't know was that Akane had suddenly remembered one of the techniques that she had learned in the past, it could possibly block the attack and allow a counter-attack in return... at least she hoped it would. 'I don't want to be showing off my bra and panties to the old pervert...'

"Ready!" Akane got immediately into a defensive stance as Ranma-chan stepped back. A moment later, Happosai charged forward, eager to get a view of his other favorite.

Akane quickly dodges Happosai's attack. He then decides to try an aerial assault like he had used versus Ranma-chan. Akane keeps him at bay with quick parries and defensive blocks, making sure he made no contact with her gi. As the fight progresses, Happosai becomes increasingly impressed with her increased defensive abilities... and realizes that he had to increase his attacks to try and overcome this.

It isn't long before Akane begins to run out of breath… she had kept him away from her clothes... but the pace was become too rapid, too draining for her stamina. Any moment now, he would get past her and cause her outfit to fall apart. She decides to take a gamble... lowering her guard for just a moment.

The very astute Happosai notices and immediately reached for her shirt at chest level. Akane lets him get to the fabric and just before the ripping begins, grabs him and falls backwards, slamming him to the ground. The other girls gasp at the suddenness of the attack and admired the results...

"Wow... nice move, Akane" Ukyo was the first to speak out. She thought to herself... 'Maybe there is something useful in these moves, even beyond the revenge factor...'

A dizzy Happosai slowly stood up and put a hand over his forehead. "I think that's enough for one day... class dismissed."

Ranma-chan put a reassuring hand on Akane's shoulder. She couldn't believe how strong her battle aura had been a moment ago... Akane was definitely improving. "Good work, Akane..."

Akane glared down at the wobbling Happosai as she replied back... "Thank you, Ranma. I think you need to get some clothes on, though…"

"Oh, yeah…" the suddenly self-conscious redhead exclaims. "It's a good thing I left a jacket in here yesterday…"

After donning the jacket for some cover, Ranma-chan heads for the door. "Let's get outta here…"

"Until next time…" the other four girls say on their way out, waving at the staggering old man, who continues to walk around the dojo in a daze. Nabiki watches the five enter the main house and then quietly climbs down from her observation spot. 'I'd better get back to my room… so no one's suspicious. I don't want them to know I was up there…'

Nabiki quietly enters her room as soon as the five women head into Akane's room. She stretches out a little then lies on her bed and relaxes…

Next door, the five "students" talk about the training session they just had.

"That was… interesting… to say the least…" Ukyo says, not really knowing how to describe what she just witnessed.

Shampoo voices her opinion. "Shampoo think moves perverted…"

"I second that, sister…:" Kodachi says with a nod.

"That was pretty intense for one session… and he only showed one advanced technique… this could get a lot worse…" Akane says with a sigh.

"Well, we ain't gonna quit, right?" Ranma-chan says, not wanting the others to get depressed about this session.

"No…" is the common response back after a few seconds of silence.

"When are we going to do this again?" Ukyo asks. "I'm busy this weekend… maybe Monday after school?"

"That sound good to Shampoo…"

"That sounds reasonable to me as well…" Kodachi says, wanting to take a break from this "training" to recover.

"Okay… on Monday we'll meet here again…" Akane says before taking Ranma-chan's hand. "I have to take care of something with Ranma here… I'll see you three later. Feel free to change here… where it's safe."

After dragging the redheaded martial artist out of the room, Akane sighs aloud. "Ranma, you need some new clothes… and I know just where to get them…"

Not knowing exactly what she means by that, Ranma-chan shrugs her shoulders and watches as Akane knocks on Nabiki's door.

Sitting up on her bed, the middle Tendo calls out- "Come in"

Akane and Ranma-chan enter the room and close the door. Nabiki feigns ignorance and begins voicing her observations almost immediately…

"Nice outfit, sis… are you planning on being a Hooters girl?"

"No…" Akane makes no effort to hide her disgust about the choice of uniform she had to wear. "This is what the old man had us wearing for this… training…"

"Oh, I see… hmm. It seems to have other effects as well… Ranma here can't stop looking at your butt… or your chest…"

"RANMA!" Akane calls out, not liking it when Ranma does that in front of others, especially Nabiki.

Quickly turning away, the redhead says "What?" and curses Nabiki for mentioning what she was just doing.

"Don't deny it, Ranma… you like her 'Hooters'…"

"You're such a pervert, Nabiki…" the now blushing Akane says back.

"I'm just telling it like it is… Ranma didn't even deny it… hmm." Nabiki takes another look at Ranma-chan and realizes something.

"Say, Ranma… where's your outfit?"

"The old man… ripped it somehow…" Unzipping the jacket, the redheaded martial artist shows the middle Tendo what she means. "Some move called fabric failure…"

"Ah… sounds like something that the old man would come up with. Ranma, that bra looks pretty tight… where'd you get that from?"

"Akane…"

"No wonder it's too small…" Nabiki comments aloud, causing Akane to become angry with her sister and her jokes.

"Well EXCUSE ME! I was only trying to help Ranma out… and keep her from bouncing around in front of the old man…"

"It was a good idea… but Nabiki is right, it is a little tight…"

"I forgot about the… difference… and didn't think about it until a few minutes ago. Is there something that Ranma can borrow for this training?"

"Hmm… I think I can find something… hold on…"

Nabiki walks over to her underwear drawer and looks for a bra that would be supportive and keep Ranma-chan from unduly bouncing around during this training. It isn't long before she returns with a potential "winner".

"Try this one on… this should work…"

"Okay…"

Reaching her hands behind her back, Ranma-chan tries to unhook the bra… but fails.

"Umm... Akane... a little help here?" the embarrassed martial artist says, silently cursing her current dilemma.

"I swear, you're hopeless as a woman..." Akane says before unhooking the bra. The garment is quickly removed and handed to Akane… Ranma-chan is very happy to be free of the restricting garment...

"I can finally breath again, that was really too tight. Let's see if this one works better…"

Nabiki hands the bra over to Ranma-chan, who quickly puts it on. Akane hooks up the back for her fiancée and then gently gives her a push forward. "Look in the mirror and see if you like it…"

"Not bad…" is the reply back after the redhead gets a better look at herself in the mirror. "I had no idea we're almost the same size…" she says while gently tugging on one of the straps.

"Who knew?" Nabiki says with a shrug. "You can keep that, Ranma… I have plenty of bras."

"Thanks…" Donning the jacket again, the redhead zips it up. "I'm gonna take a hot shower and change back into regular clothes… I've had enough of being a girl for one day…"

"Yeah, it's hard being one, isn't it?" Nabiki says with a slight bit of sarcasm.

"You know what… I'm really starting ta see that it is…"

After taking a quick glance at Akane, Ranma-chan leaves the room and the two sisters talk some more…

"You know, sis, he's one of the only guys that truly realizes what being a girl is all about. Maybe he'll be a little bit more… sympathetic then he was before…"

Akane is surprised by her sisters' comment… and realizes that she might be onto something.

"Maybe… he's truly different then any other guy that I've met…"

"That's an understatement. Face it, sis… you wanted him from day one, you were just too stubborn to admit it…"

Akane blushes but says nothing.

"I don't want to keep you from relaxing… I'm sure you've had quite a day. Dinner should be ready soon and I don't think you want to be down at the table in that uniform… unless you're the server…" Nabiki says that last part with a wink, causing Akane to roll her eyes.

"No… this Hooters girl is going to change out of this uniform right now…" Akane says as she heads for the door.

"See you at dinner then…" Nabiki says while waving to her departing sister. 'It's going to be boring without those two here this weekend… maybe I should go out with Kuno again… I don't Happosai offering to teach me any "new moves"…'

End Part A.

Start Part B

After the intensive training in the dojo, Akane changes out of the Hooters uniform and places it on a hangar. Before hanging it in her closet, however, she pauses in front of the mirror. She holds the uniform in front of her body and grins.

'This uniform is really perverted… but for some reason, Ranma couldn't stop staring at me today. I guess I was living up to his claims that I'm a sexy tomboy… heh. I'd never thought I'd see the day I'd actually like being called a tomboy, looks like Ranma's pet-name for me is really gotten a hold of me.'

After a soft sigh, the youngest Tendo puts the uniform in her closet and heads downstairs, stopping occasionally to stretch. 'My back muscles are sore… I really did push myself trying to avoid get touched by the old man.'

Ranma notices Akane's movements and has a feeling about what's going on. He makes a mental note to talk to her after dinner and catches up to the young woman…

"Hey Akane…"

"Yeah?"

"Nice job earlier, yah really pounded the old man…"

Akane turns around and nods her head. "He underestimated me and he did say to defend against his attacks so…"

"Sounds like you two had some fun today…" Nabiki says to the pair before walking into the dining room. She turns around and calls to the couple- "Hey, dinner's ready and everyone's waiting."

Ranma decides to cut that conversation topic short and talk to Akane about that later. The pig-tailed martial artist exchanges glances with his fiancée and the two head over to the dining room table and sit down next to each other.

"We were waiting for you- the food's going to get cold so eat up…" Nodoka says cheerfully before passing some miso soup over to her son. Kasumi passes a bowl of salad over to Akane before returning to her own meal.

Next to Nodoka, Genma and Soun are eating dinner with their usual gusto. The middle Tendo eats a bit slower, her mind being preoccupied with certain things.

"I would like to hear about your training today, Ranma… I was out shopping and didn't get to stop in and see what kind of martial arts Master Happosai was teaching you."

Nabiki's eyebrows go up but she says nothing. Ranma finishes his soup and then sighs aloud.

"It was… interesting, ta say the least. I wasn't a big fan of the uniforms he picked out for us, he got to see too much of us."

"I see. I'm sure he had his reasons…" the Saotome matriarch says before asking another question. "How much did you learn? I want you to continue to broaden your martial arts knowledge."

"A lot, I guess, though most of it was perverted stuff- right, Akane?"

Akane nods her head. "Yep. Very perverted… way beyond anything I used to fight the other girls with in that big battle. They'd have killed me if I used any of the moves I saw today in that battle…"

"But you are learning new things?"

Soun interrupts. "If you don't want to do it, then don't. I know how the Master tends to act… improper around you."

Genma softly belches and then falls backwards, hitting the floor. Nodoka looks over at her husband and notices that he's passed out.

Ranma shows a little concern for what just happened. "Okay, what just happened ta pops?"

A curious Nabiki turns and looks for herself. "It looks like he fell asleep to me."

"Oh, it's nothing… he must've been tired from all the work he had to do today." Nodoka says with a slight giggle.

"Work? Him?" an unbelieving Ranma asks aloud. "Since when does he work?"

"He was working today at a new part-time job I got for him, plus helping with the shopping. I even had him help out Kasumi in the kitchen…"

"Really?" Akane asks her older sister.

Nodding her head, Kasumi answers in the affirmative. "Yes, Mister Saotome helped make dinner."

"Wow, I'm surprised it was even edible then…" Ranma says jokingly.

"Now now, your father can cook a little, we ate as well as we could on the road." Soun chides Ranma and tries to stick up for his friend.

"This is all too much…" Akane says, playing along with Ranma's last comment.

"He better get used to it… and more. He has plenty of accounts to settle and if he wants to avoid any 'dishonorable' consequences, he'll be doing as I say." Nodoka says while looking down at the sleeping Genma, who twitches a little.

Kasumi takes the remaining food and passes it over to Ranma and Akane, who eagerly eat it up, being very hungry from their earlier battle. "We gotta work on some homework, so excuse us…"

"Have fun, and make sure that you let Akane know how much you APPRECIATE her help…" Nodoka says, carefully dropping a hint to her son. The young man blushes and starts backing away from the table and soon out of sight. Akane does her best not to blush, being aware of what Auntie Nodoka was suggesting they do.

"Oh, I'm sure Akane APPRECIATES his help, too, Auntie." Nabiki says, adding her "two cents" in.

The Saotome matriarch agrees with that 100%. "I hope so, that's what engaged couples should be doing…"

Feeling the redness about envelope her face, Akane excuses herself from the table and makes a quick dash upstairs to the safety of her room. Nodoka, seeing her topic of conversation leave, decides to turn to another target.

"Tell me about this new boyfriend of yours, dear."

Nabiki is caught unawares by that question and is unsure of how to answer. "Umm… Kuno, well…"

"I've heard that formerly crazy young man is now quite sane, along with his sister." Soun says, mentioning some of the information he had heard recently.

"Yeah, he's sane. I wouldn't have gone out with him if he was like his old self- I'm not desperate for a date or anything."

"Of course not. That was the young man that gave you that medieval outfit, right?"

"You saw that?" is the slightly surprised reply from Nabiki.

"You were coming back from the dojo and I happened to catch a glimpse of you in it. It seems to me like he really appreciates your looks." Nodoka says with an affirmative nod.

"That I can agree with." Nabiki inwardly grins. 'He's seen more then just that costume… but that doesn't bother me much. If I really had a problem with those pictures, I would've taken them away from him… I must be getting soft or something…'

"Maybe you should have him over for dinner sometime…" Soun suggests, wanting to see this "new Kuno" with his own eyes. "I'd like to… talk with him."

"I could make a wonderful dinner, just for you two…" a happy Kasumi adds, wanting to help her sister out.

"It's not like I don't appreciate the thought- we just started dating, though. I'll talk to him at school tomorrow and we'll see… there's some rehearsals and stage setup activities this weekend."

"That's nice, you're already spending your free time with him. Sounds very promising to me."

"I guess, Auntie." Nabiki shrugs her shoulders. "It's still new to me, our relationship."

"I'm sure your father would like to have two of his daughters to be engaged, so if this man is as good as you think he is…"

That catches Nabiki off guard. "Engaged?"

"Now now, Nodoka, let's not put Nabiki in the same category as Akane and Ranma." Soun says, stepping in to take some of the heat off of his daughter.

Seeing her chance, the middle Tendo quickly wipes her mouth and takes her leave. "Dinner was great, but I have homework to do. I'll see everyone later…"

Nabiki exchanges glances with her father on the way out and quickly heads up to the relative safety of her room. After closing and locking the door, she breathes a sigh of relief.

'That was close. Looks like Auntie has it in for me, too- I better keep my relationship with Kuno on the quiet side in front of her or the questions will never end.'

The young woman pauses to look at a small box on her dresser. She thinks about the gift and remembers that one incident where Kuno had asked her to marry him…

'He must be remembering something about his past, getting that keychain with the golden tennis racket couldn't be a coincidence. Maybe that's something we could do together, play tennis- and see how things go.'

After giving herself a determined nod in the mirror, Nabiki opens up her school books and gets right to work, feeling good inside about being creative and challenging herself. Next door, Ranma and Akane are finishing up their writing assignments, thankful that tonight they didn't have a lot of homework to do.

"Finished. What a day…" Akane says while putting down her pencil. "It was kinda nice, though, to beat Happosai… despite having to deal with those perverted moves of his."

"Just wait until Monday afternoon, I'm sure they'll be even worse" Ranma adds halfheartedly while adding the finishing lines to his homework.

"Oh, I'm sure they will. That one move he used on you, that was really bad."

Ranma shakes his head. "It gave that old freak a peep show and I ain't gonna let that happen again."

"I don't want that to happen to anyone of us- I think he'll think twice before trying to pull that move for fun, though." Akane says before shrugging her shoulders. Ranma notices what's she doing and remembers that she did that several times while they were working on their homework… it bothers him a little.

"Hey, is somethin' wrong with your shoulders? You've been shrugging them a lot…"

"Oh, I must've strained them trying to avoid losing my outfit to that shredding move of his."

Ranma offers to help out. "Well, lie down on the bed and let me help yah out. I don't want to see you in pain or anythin'"

"Okay" Akane says, immediately agreeing with the idea and liking how caring Ranma's being towards her. She grabs a pillow and lies down on her stomach and takes a few deep breaths before relaxing.

"Thanks, Ranma, for helping me out."

"Anythin' for my tomboy…" is his reply before getting on the bed. "Are yah ready?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Gently but firmly, Ranma does his best to relax Akane's shoulders, taking out any knots that may have been present. Akane enjoys the attention and care that her fiancée is showing towards her and closes her eyes while he's working his magic. She cannot help but softly moan his name every so often, causing the pig-tailed martial artist to blush.

"It sounds like I'm, umm, doing a good job" Ranma comments softly to himself.

"Mmm- I'm really APPRECIATING this, Ranma" Akane says with a slight giggle.

"It's nice being able to touch yah like this… and not getting malleted in the process" Ranma says jokingly as the massage continues, in an effort to lighten the mood. "Yah gotta stay loose or your stiff muscles will affect your performance…"

"Maybe I need you to do this more often, you're very good" Akane says softly.

"I'm sure we could work somethin' out… maybe even do this again up at that resort. We won't have to worried about being bothered up there, I don't think the old man will follow us up there this time… and you and I can get rid of him quick if he does.'

"That's a good idea, I like it. I hope it's peaceful up there, even though it never is with this house… or this neighborhood" the youngest Tendo says with a soft sigh.

"Yeah"

Feeling very comfortable and content but wanting to spend some more time with Ranma, Akane decides to return the favor.

"Your turn, Ranma"

"Huh?"

"I want to rub your shoulders…" Akane sits up on the bed. "Time for me to make you feel appreciated"

Ranma smiles. "If you insist"

The two teens switch places and Ranma relaxes himself, letting Akane's strong but delicate hands work on his back and shoulders. "A guy could get used to this…"

"Oh, I bet. You're getting a back rub in my bedroom in my bed… must be a fantasy come true for you…" Akane says with a sly grin.

Ranma has a quick response to that, one that silences Akane for a moment. "Or maybe it's one of your fantasies"

A slight "bop" on the head is Akane's non-verbal reply to that. He's unfazed, however. "Bopping me ain't gonna take away from the truth, you can't get enough of your 'baka'"

"I guess not. Ranma, about tomorrow… will you help me practice my swimming again? I want to get some more practice in- being able to swim is something that's definitely worth learning"

"Sure, no problem. Maybe this time we could go for one of those nature hikes that they have, since we didn't get to do that last time. I heard there was some kinda special animal area, too…"

"Oh yeah, the wild monkeys. I'll be sure to pack my camera. I also got two new surprises to show you tomorrow, after we get there." Akane says happily.

That peaks Ranma's attention. "Oh?"

"You'll just have to wait and see. I also wanted to say 'thanks' for earlier today, you were about to give me a compliment but I stopped you."

"Oh, that. It was no problem, I think you have a good figure"

"Thanks…"

Ranma feels Akane's hands slowing down and wonders what's going on. They soon stop all together and the young woman rests her body on top of his.

"I know you mean that, Ranma, with all your heart. I'm trying to compliment you, too… I've hurt you a lot and most of the time, it was over stupid things."

"I think the only stupid thing was that you and I didn't come to a understandin' or somethin' earlier- this is the biggest challenge I've ever had, trying to be a good fiancée when I still don't know too much about women…"

Akane agrees with that, to a certain point. "Well, you can relate to us a little better then most guys, whenever you're not flaunting your figure just to get sweets or to mess someone…"

"Oh come on, I haven't done that in a while."

"My sister used to do that a lot, especially to Kuno. I think she'll get a slightly different response if she tries now- he'll actually like it and want more."

Ranma grins. "Hookin' her up with him, especially since he's pretty sane was a good idea. I think you and I are better off now that she has some distractions of her own."

"Not all distractions are bad… I liked it when you umm… distract me." Akane admits softly.

"Me too, you're best looking distraction I ever seen…"

"Oh, Ranma… only you would give me a compliment like that- but that's what makes you special." Akane yawns loudly and then Ranma follows suit.

"Man, I must be tired, I'm falling asleep here."

Akane thinks about her options and decides on something a little bold. Nervously, she makes a bold suggestion to her fiancée.

"Ranma, you can sleep here. I'm umm… okay with that, I mean…"

"Yah don't want me to leave?" Ranma asks, hoping inside for a "no" answer.

"N-n-n-o, I don't." Akane softly stutters.

"I'll stay, I know we were gonna do this tomorrow night but this is a bonus, I guess. I did promise to be more givin' with yah, and this isn't anythin' hard to play along with." Ranma says while trying not to blush.

'Still, she's asking me to stay in her room and in her bed. This is kinda like a dream'

Akane slowly gets up and turns out the light. Snuggling her head against his back, she offers another three words to the martial artist before going to sleep.

"Good night, Ranma"

"Good night, Akane."

Despite her nervousness, Akane falls asleep right away. Ranma stays awake a little longer and thinks about Akane's boldness a few minutes ago. 'She has to want me bad if she'd ask me to stay… this ain't too bad, though. She's very warm and soft… and it's really nice to see this side of her. Who knew she had such a cute, compassionate side in that tomboy exterior?'

With that thought in mind, Ranma finally falls asleep.

Elsewhere in the Nerima area, at the Kuno estate, Kodachi is looking around her room, trying to find clues about her past before the madness or any hints of why she is the way she is. For whatever reason, her eyes seem to be draw back to the black leotard and the new Hooters uniform she had changed out of previously.

'I take it that I'm used to showing off my body, given these feelings. That's not necessarily bad, I did like that Chinese outfit I got from Shampoo. There has to be more, though. I'm supposed to be this "Black Rose"… but who am I really? Where did I come from and where are my parents? I'll have to talk with my brother and see if he knows any more then I do…'

As the soul-searching continues, Kodachi cannot but feel empty inside- it's as if the insanity she once had filled a void in her life and with that now missing, the empty feeling returns…

After the nights work is done, Mousse and Shampoo turn in for the night. The male Amazon has been curious all evening about his wife's new training uniform… since she's been teasing him about it since her return.

"Okay, okay… I've had enough of your teasing for one day. Show me this uniform already…"

Shampoo closes the door. "Old man make us wear uniform, Shampoo think it's perverted but Shampoo also like it at the same time…"

"I see" Mousse sighs and removes his shirt, in order to get more comfortable and prepare for bed.

"Shampoo want to surprise _airen_… Mousse close eyes for Shampoo…"

The young man is more then happy to oblige. "Okay"

Once her husband's eyes are closed, Shampoo heads over to the closet and takes out the uniform. She quickly strips down to her underwear and changes into the Hooters uniform, pausing only to catch a sideways glance of herself in the mirror.

'Shampoo look very sexy tonight… hope _airen_ likes this…'

A gentle kiss to the cheek signals to Mousse that it's okay to look. "What _airen _think?"

The young Amazon opens his eyes and gazes at his wife and her new uniform. Only one word comes to mind…

"Woah"

"You like?" the teasing Shampoo says with a wink.

"Y-yeah… it's great. It really shows off your ummm… full figure."

"Shampoo's thoughts exactly" the young Amazon woman says before locking him into an intimate embrace. "Shampoo feel very sexy tonight… and _airen_ looking very handsome"

"I can tell, and thanks…" Mousse's face gets redder and redder as she begins kissing his neck and pressing her chest against his. His hands slowly but instinctively wrap around her body and hold her close as he returns her affections. It isn't long before his busy hands discover another benefit of the uniform- the way it really showcases her hips and behind.

"No wonder you wanted to show me this all night… I never imagined I see you in something like this, though."

"Shampoo like to have fun… despite the way she got the uniform in the first place. Shampoo want to be _airen's _Hooter's girl"

"You can be that anytime, as long as you're with me. We've got a lot of challenges ahead, you know- I'm sure this peace isn't going to last forever"

The young woman nods her head. "Yes. That's why Shampoo want to form good bonds with _airen_, so when times get tough…"

Mousse finishes her sentence. "We know each other well…"

"Yes…" is the reply back from Shampoo, who snuggles against her husband's chest. "Thank you"

"Anything for you, Shampoo" Mousse says while gently lying back on the bed, allowing his wife's body to stay against his. She's about to draw the blanket over them both when Mousse asks a seemingly innocent question.

"You're going to wear that to bed?"

"_Airen _don't want Shampoo to wear uniform?"

The young Amazon softly chuckles. "No, I was just thinking… there's only thing better then seeing you in a Hooter's uniform…"

"What could be better then that?" the curious young woman asks.

"Seeing you out of it…" the red-faced Mousse says, not believing how perverted his mind had become in a such a short time, thanks to his new wife.

Even Shampoo herself is a little surprised by his comment… but is still flattered nonetheless. "Mousse become pervert, yes?"

"What can I say, you're umm… friendliness and attitude about certain things is catchy…" is the slightly stammered response back.

"Is okay. Shampoo want _airen_ that lust after Shampoo body and soul"

"I like having all of your affection, too" Mousse admits.

"Then show Shampoo how much you want her tonight…"

A wide grin forms on Mousse's face. "No problem"

A quite opposite situation is occurring across town at Uc-chan's Café, where Ukyo and Ryoga are finishing the night's cleaning.

"Just about done. You've been awfully quiet tonight, did anything bad happen at that training you went to?" Ryoga asks, wondering about his girlfriend.

"It was a long day, sugar. I learned a lot, but let's say the moves were pretty underhanded… moves that I probably wouldn't even have done in the past, I do have standards you know"

"I know you do. Still, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. You mentioned a special uniform and you came in with sweats on… I didn't even get to see it"

Ryoga's curiosity about the uniform makes Ukyo feel embarrassed at first… but she brushes that aside, at least for the moment. "If you want to see it that badly, then okay. Let's get everything wrapped up down here first"

"Sure thing…" the lost boy says, feeling some anticipation as he cleans. 'I bet it has to be something showy, since it was the old man teaching them. Maybe that's why she's being quiet about it'

It isn't long before the restaurant is cleaned up and everything is stored away for the weekend, since it won't be opening again until Monday afternoon. Ukyo walks up to the head of the stairs and shyly motions at Ryoga, who silently acknowledges her request.

Inside her bedroom, the brunette chef opens her closet and after a momentary pause, reaches in and grabs the hanger with the "Hooters" uniform on it.

"Well, you wanted to see it, so here it is" Ukyo says softly while turning the hanger around to face her boyfriend.

"Oh… a "Hooters" uniform. I've seen those before…" Ryoga says while sporting only a minor blush.

Ukyo is confused by his reaction. "No nosebleed? I mean umm… sorry. I was expecting you to react differently."

The lost boy brushes that comment off and grins. "When you get lost as much as I do, you end seeing all kinds of restaurants. I've had dinner at a couple of "Hooters" in the last few years…"

"That makes sense, you're quite the traveler. I wish I had a chance to see as much of the world as you have…" the brunette chef says with a small grin on her face in attempt to tease her boyfriend.

"Most of the time it isn't fun, Ukyo. That curse I almost as bad as the Jusenkyo curse" is Ryoga's retort to that.

"Hmm, good point."

"Those restaurants have some good food, especially their chicken wings. What they did over in the United States to come up with that, I don't know- but the flavoring is great!" Ryoga says while imaging the food- he cannot help but lick his lips at the thought.

"I had never heard of or seen one of those restaurants before this training. Tell me about the waitresses, how did they look?" Ukyo says before putting the uniform away and closing her closet door. When she turns around, she finds her boyfriend silently staring out into space, which makes the young brunette chef curious.

'I wonder what he's thinking? I better find out…'

After sitting down next to Ryoga on the futon, Ukyo leans her head on his shoulder. "Well?"

"They umm… looked nice- you already know what that uniform does to your umm, you know…"

The young woman giggles. "You can say it, I'm sure I won't be making any judgments anytime soon when it comes to perverted things… I did volunteer to be trained by the old man after all"

After hearing that, Ryoga gulps and then speaks, not believing that he was just given license to say what he was thinking.

"Their curves, the uniform really showed off their butts and their b-breasts a lot…"

"So the old man wasn't lying about the uniform." Ukyo begins rubbing her right hand on his back. "Would I make a good waitress there?"

That comment catches Ryoga completely off guard. "You?"

"I'm just curious what you think of my looks… I already have my own restaurant, so I'm not serious about working somewhere else…" the brunette says softly.

"Of course you look good, I think you're cute"

A slight blush forms on Ukyo's face. "Thanks… but do you think I'm more then that? You know, girly and feminine? Sexy?"

"Well, umm… you know…" Ryoga begins twiddling his fingers together. "Yeah, you look great, Ukyo. Very girly and sexy…"

Without warning, Ryoga gets "love tackled" by his girlfriend, who starts passionately kissing him.

'Maybe I need to compliment her like this more often… damn that feels good…' is the thought in the lost boy's mind as his hands wrap around her back.

After expressing her thanks for the compliment, the red-faced chef pulls away slightly and smiles.

"Thanks… I really needed to hear that."

"N-no problem. I forgot to say that you're very umm feminine, too…" Ryoga adds, making sure to answer her question fully.

"You don't what it means to hear you say that. I've been one way so long, been focused on one thing and now that's gone. I have a reason to be girly again… and I want you to help me, please…" Ukyo says in an almost pleading manner. "Help me"

"Of course I'll help you… anything for you. You saved me, nursed me back to health… stayed with me even after I told you my story. Who else would do that?" Ryoga says in return, baring his soul.

"Only a crazy chef like me" a grinning Ukyo says.

"I feel less lost with you" is his counter to that. "I guess we're both crazy"

Silently, Ukyo acknowledges that before yawning and looking up at the clock. She gently caresses Ryoga's cheek before speaking what's on her mind.

"We've got a long day tomorrow… let's get ready for bed. We can talk on the train tomorrow… and at the hotel. I know we'll have a lot of fun…"

Her boyfriend agrees 100% with that statement and pulls her back into an embrace. "I'm sure we will"

Friday

Nodoka gets up early and finds that her son's futon hasn't been used at all. She quietly tip-toes over to Akane's room and peeks inside.

'Now that's cute, I knew he'd be here. I think he's really beginning to appreciate any chance to be with that young woman. They'll have lots of fun at the hot springs this weekend if they're already this close.'

Gently, Nodoka touches Akane's head. "Daughter in-law… wake up…"

"Huh, what?" the groggy Akane says as her eyes flitter open. "Auntie Nodoka…"

"Good morning. I see you were doing some extra studying last night with my son." Nodoka says with a wink.

"Well, umm, maybe…"

"It's okay, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I think it's cute that you two decided to sleep together last night."

Akane doesn't like her choice of words. "You don't have to say it that way… this was more of a… mutual snuggle."

"Well, whatever you want to call it, I call it progress. I'll have grandkids in no time at this rate…"

Red covers Akane's face in an instant, being plainly visible in the dimly lit room. The Saotome matriarch sees this and backs off, just a little. "I stopped in to let you both know that breakfast is ready. If you want me to, I'll keep this a little secret- as long as you promise to tell me all about your trip when you come back and what kind of progress you two are making."

"I guess that's a deal…" Ranma is the next thing on Akane's mind. She whispers in his ear. "Hey, wake up!"

"Is it morning already?" he says groggily.

"Of course… my manly son! I'm so proud of you, taking care of Akane like this" is Nodoka's cheerful response back.

"Mom?" Ranma instantly wakes up and begins to panic. "I umm, well, it's not what you think… I mean…"

"Ranma, it's okay…" Akane says quickly before Ranma freaks out.

"Oh"

"It's only natural for you two to be together… I'll be waiting for you downstairs. Your father will soon be heading off to work…" she says with a grin. "He has plenty of debts to pay off…"

With that, Nodoka leaves the two alone. After she leaves, the two exchange glances.

"That still sounds weird, her talking about Pops workin'…"

"It shocks me, too. We better get downstairs before anything else happens" Akane says, glancing in the direction of her sister Nabiki's room.

"Okay, that sounds good. I'll see yah downstairs then" Ranma says while sitting up. Akane blushes and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for staying with me"

"No problem, I had fun sleeping with yah last night…"

A quick mallet strike voices Akane's anger over her fiancee's comment. "Pervert! You didn't have to say it like that!"

"Oww!" the woozy Ranma says before making his escape. "I hope you aren't like that tonight"

After hearing that, Akane is silent and has no reply to her fiancée who promptly leaves to get changed. 'Maybe I overreacted… it's just… arrgh! It's not really too perverted if we do stuff like that together, we are engaged and pretty close to being married. I just can't help myself sometimes… I hope that he's not mad.'

The pair get ready for breakfast and head downstairs at almost the same time… the sight of Genma running out the front door catches their attention.

"I guess he's off to work, wherever that is" Ranma quips.

"I swear it's getting weirder around here all the time" Akane says while shaking her head.

"Oh, I agree with you. Having the Kuno's being sane was just the tip of the iceberg…" Nabiki says to her sister and Ranma, who turn and look up the staircase at the middle Tendo daughter. "I'm not complaining, yet."

"Let's just hope it keeps on bein' a good 'weird'" the pig-tailed martial artist says before heading downstairs, the two Tendo sisters are right behind him.

Breakfast is quick, Nabiki has a lot to do at school and wants to leave early to talk with Kuno… and to avoid any more interrogations by Nodoka. Akane and Ranma talk a little bit with Soun and Nodoka, mainly about the upcoming weekend trip.

"You two be on your best behavior" Soun says to the departing pair. "I'll see you when you get home from school…"

Akane turns around and smiles. "Sounds good, dad"

Kasumi also calls out to the departing pair. "I'll have some food for your trip ready when you get back!"

"Great, we'll be looking for it when we get back…" Ranma says, liking the thought of eating some more Kasumi's wonderful cooking.

End Part B.

Start Part C.

At school, time seems to drag- the two teenagers are both secretly looking forward to their getaway… but lunch time is the first hurdle to clear. Before the lunch break, however, Miss Hinako announces a special assignment for the weekend to the class.

"I want a one page paper on Monday from everyone…"

Several calls of "Aww man!" are heard but are silenced by her glare. "Ahem. As I was saying, there's a special assignment- I want you to write one page on what you plan to do after high school.

"It doesn't have to be super detailed, just explain what your plans are. You'll be third year students soon and college is around the corner so it's time to think about this seriously. You're dismissed for lunch…"

The bell rings a moment later, signaling the official start of lunch. Ranma and Akane are about to take out their lunch when both get pulled aside by their friends, asking what their plans are for the weekend. Ukyo sees this activity and wonders what's going on.

'They seem to be all excited about something… maybe they've got some big plans for the weekend or something. I know I do- but this new paper has me thinking, what do I want to do?'

Several minutes later, a very embarrassed Ranma opens his bento box and begins to eat, feeling glad that the "innocent" questions that his friends Hiroshi and Daisuke had been asking are over. Akane slides her desk over a little and silently glances at Ranma.

"Are you okay?"

"Well, yeah… now that the questions are over. Those guys got all excited when I told 'em I was busy this weekend… they were askin' some really personal questions about us…"

Akane softly nods her head. "Same here. Yuka and Sayuri almost died when I told them we were going back to that hot spring again… they're so happy for us. They were asking me some personal question, too…"

"You and I are always the hot topic here…" Ranma says half-heartedly.

"Hmm… I wonder why? There's been so much that's happened here since you came, some of it bad, some of it good…" is her reply while getting out her own bento. "It's been pretty good lately, though"

"I think so, too… it's nice to see this side of you, though you can still hit pretty hard wit' that mallet of yours…" Ranma says cautiously while picking at his lunch.

"About that… I'm sorry… I know you didn't mean it like that- it was just a reflex action" the youngest Tendo says softly before digging into her own lunch.

"At least I don't have to worry too much about you being able to defend yourself these days… you still wield a mean mallet plus all those moves you know…"

Akane is flattered by the comment but still has something to add to that thought. "I'm still nowhere near your level, though. Some of your moves are just… crazy"

"Well, you do what yah gotta do ta survive" is his reply before returning his attention to his lunch. Akane silently observes her fiancée as she eats and makes note of his subtle change in attitude since that big fight went down… and how she's changed.

The second half of the school day passes by a little faster, both Akane and Ranma are thinking about their new assignment. When the final bell rings, the two are surprised to see Ukyo say a quick "goodbye" and take off, seemingly quite happy about something.

The brunette chef takes off and runs home, where Ryoga is waiting with their backpacks.

"I made some food for us to eat on the train, are you ready to go?"

"Sure! Just be sure to keep a hold of my hand, I don't need you getting lost on me…" the chef says with a slight giggle.

"Your mom gave me the directions earlier, we have to go over to the Nerima station and then take the train over to the main Tokyo station, then we get on one of those speed trains…" Ryoga says while glancing at a small scrap of paper in his hand.

"Then we're ready to go" Ukyo says while boldly taking Ryoga's hand and holding it. "Let's get over to the train station before the evening rush hour really takes hold- I don't want to be packed in like a sardine in those train cars"

"Me either, it's crazy down there…" Ryoga says with a slight blush, taking note of the fact that his girlfriend is holding his hand in public. With a gentle tug, she pulls him towards their bags and soon the couple is heading off towards their weekend getaway…

Back at the Tendo house, Ranma and Akane arrive and quickly change into some more comfortable street clothes before grabbing their backpacks and heading downstairs. Kasumi hands them each a bento box for their journey.

"Have a nice trip!"

"Thanks, sis!" Akane says while catching a whiff of the aromas coming from the box. "It smells great!"

"Thanks, Kasumi"

A warm smile forms on the eldest Tendo's face. "No problem, just trying to help my little sis and her fiancée out, that's all"

As the two head towards the front door and put on their shoes, they're surprised about one thing- no last minute words from Soun or Nodoka.

"I wonder where your dad is? I don't see my mom, either…" the observant Ranma notes as he adjusts his backpack.

"I was expecting some more 'encouragement' about us" the chuckling Akane says before Kasumi gently taps her on the shoulder.

"They went down to the market, it seems like Auntie Nodoka is really getting everyone motivated these days. She told me that she was going to help over at Ukyo's restaurant for the next few days and that your dad was going to help out, too." Kasumi says that last part, unsure of whether this new development will turn out to be a good thing or not.

The two teens are a little surprised by what they heard but just pass it off to Nodoka's helpful nature and realize that time is "a wastin'"

"Well, have fun this weekend, we'll see you Sunday night. Bye!" the youngest Tendo says while waving at her older sister.

Kasumi waves back at the departing pair, taking note of the genuinely happy expressions on both teenagers faces. 'I'm so happy for Akane and Ranma, they've come so far since they first met.'

As Kasumi returns to her normal daily routine, she cannot help about another couple, or at least one she would like to see in the future- her and Doctor Tofu.

As the afternoon continues, the hustle and bustle in the Tokyo area increases as school children get out for the weekend and people start going home from work. Ukyo and Ryoga manage to avoid some of the crowds and get on one of the trains heading north just moments before its departure. They find their seats, Ukyo taking the window side and Ryoga sitting to her right. He cannot help but notice how intently she's looking out the window as the train begins its journey north…

"You look like you're really enjoying the ride" he comments softly.

"Oh, yeah… I've only been on a few trains like this, so this is kind of a treat." Ukyo then takes out a piece of paper from her backpack and hands it to Ryoga. "This is my school assignment for the weekend, thankfully it's the only one. Maybe we could talk about it a little on the way up- it does have something to do with you, after all"

The curious Ryoga takes the paper and looks at the assignment title. Inside, he's happy that she said it included him, since it's a paper about the future.

"Sure, we've got the time. Let's talk about, you know… us."

As the train speeds towards the north end of mainland Japan, the pair have one of their first serious conversation about their own future, mainly focusing on the upcoming end of high school for Ukyo and what she wants to do next along with Ryoga's plans for the future.

Back at Tokyo station, the next express pulls up and Akane and Ranma board it. They immediately find their seats and settle in for the long ride.

"It's gonna be a while before we get there, were you gonna take a nap again?" Ranma asks, wondering if she wanted to relax and lean against him again.

"Not this time. Let's get our paper done… I'll proofread yours if you'll check mine."

"That sounds good, Akane. I'm kinda wonderin' what you wanna do after high school anyway, we really didn't talk about it that much. Besides, you know, getting married…" the slightly blushing Ranma says while getting out some paper.

Akane glances over at her fiancée and smiles. "You'll see, just give me a few minutes. I've been thinking about this all day so I'll be done in no time at all."

Encouraged by her words, Ranma begins writing down his own personal thoughts and feelings about the future, stopping to take an occasional glance at his "tomboy" and reminding himself about how lucky he is. 'She looks good in that button down shirt and pants, it really shows off her curves. I wonder if she's wearing that to flirt with me? I guess I'll find out later… heh.'

Akane notices Ranma's occasional glances but says nothing. As she writes, she contemplates what kind of future she desires with her special "baka". 'He's been so helpful to me and I do want learn even more about him. He's just the type of "crazy" that I need in my life.'

The papers are both finished within twenty minutes or so but both hold back for a while- the city of Sendai passes by before they exchange papers with each other. Akane is the first to finish and finds it simple but to the point.

'He wants to run a dojo and train people, I knew that already. Marrying me… and having kids? I never knew he was interested in kids!'

Next to Akane, her fiancée Ranma finishes reading her paper and is impressed by her style. He thinks about what she said in the paper. 'She wants to marry me of course, but it looks like she wants to go to college, too. It's nice to see that she wants to be a better martial artist- but I don't think she ever talked about havin' any kids, I better ask her about that.'

Both teens turn and look at each other and blurt out the same question at the same time…

"You want kids?"

"Umm, yeah… don't you think I'd make a good mom?" Akane asks softly.

"Of course, Akane. I'm always up for a challenge and having kids, well… you know, that's a mighty big challenge there" is Ranma's soft reply to that.

"You have to meet the 'tomboy' challenge first, Ranma." A grinning Akane says while elbowing her fiancée.

"I think I'm doing good wit' that so far, besides yesterday, I've forgotten the last time you hit me with that mallet of yours."

Akane shrugs her shoulders. "I was getting rusty"

"I know you already apologized for that so I ain't gonna say anythin' more about it. That's just one of the things that comes with the territory."

"Trust me, I'll find a way to make it up to you" is her reply while thinking about what his reaction to her new robe and bikini will be.

"Okay. Maybe we can talk about the paper some more tomorrow. I wanna relax for a bit, we're most of the way there"

"That sounds good to me" Akane says while folding her paper and putting it inside her backpack. Ranma does the same thing and the two watch the nighttime scenery go by. A short while later, though, Ranma has an idea on how to tease Akane a little, since she had been messing with him earlier. He lowers his voice and whispers in her ear.

"If we're gonna have kids then I'm gonna have to do perverted things to you"

A red blush creeps across Akane's face at this surprise comment from Ranma. Rather then get mad, however, she simply acknowledges that fact.

"I know, I know… and I can tell where your thoughts are right now."

"What do you mean?"

"You've been staring at my body ever since we got on this train. Did you think that I wouldn't notice you using the window reflection to stare at me? Really, Ranma… I'm not wearing anything out of the ordinary here."

"I know, but remember you asking me what my favorite outfit to see you in was?"

"Of course. You said my gi…" is the almost instant reply back from Akane, omitting the rest of his comment in regard to that statement. 'He likes seeing me hot and sweaty in that gi, which explains why he likes working out with me so much.'

Ranma nods his head. "Well, I like seeing yah in other stuff, too. My mom said it'd be better if I started noticing your outfits more and givin' yah compliments about them."

"Fair enough. Just don't get carried away!" Akane says before slipping her hand into his and holding it. "Let me know when we get there… I'm going to take a nap."

Looking down at his fiancee's hand, which is gently holding his, Ranma smiles and says "Sure", letting the youngest Tendo get some rest before their arrival.

It isn't long before the sun sets on the horizon, bringing the onset of night to Japan. Back in Nerima, Nabiki and Kuno head out for a dinner date, having finished a class rehearsal for the play at school. With Nodoka and Soun still gone and Genma at work and Happosai on a panty raid, Kasumi finds herself alone in the house.

'It's so quiet here… it's been a long time since the house was empty like this. I'm not sure when Auntie Nodoka and father are going to be back, so I don't want to make dinner right now. What can I do?'

While heading back to her room, Kasumi remembers a book that she borrowed a while ago. She enters her room and catches a glance of a picture on her wall. Thoughts of Doctor Tofu begin to go through her head as she looks on her bookshelf for that medical book that she borrowed.

'Maybe I should return the book… I finished it and it's been a long time since I've seen Doctor Tofu…'

It takes Kasumi only a moment to make that decision to leave, taking a few moments to write down a note for her father. The eldest Tendo is soon on her way to see her one true love, hoping along the way that he won't go too "crazy" when he sees her.

Kasumi's trip isn't the only important thing happening this particular evening, though. Across the sea from Japan, in China, an Amazon council is meeting to discuss the current situation… aided by some representatives from Jusenkyo.

The village elder speaks her mind first. "We have two runaways, one of which was supposed to kill the female who disgraced our ceremony last year. She has not succeeded and it has been quite some time since our last scout party has checked on the situation. Of course, her fate is also tied in with your committee…"

"Yes, there are several souls over in Japan in violation of the code of conduct for cursed individuals… we tried to "correct" their thinking before but they humiliated us and send us back here. I believe we have a common goal here that does overlap in some regards." After saying that, the leader of the Jusenkyo envoy sits down and awaits the response from the Amazons.

After making a brief consultation with her other leaders in the tribe, the elder responds to that. "Perhaps we can come to an… understanding. We would like to see what the situation is over there first, before making a move."

Two women from the tribe suddenly raise their hands. The elder sees this and nods, giving them permission to speak.

"Pink and I thought we seen Shampoo and Mousse a few days ago, here in China. We tracked them for a little bit but they disappeared."

That comment gets the elder's attention. "Hmm… I wonder why they were back here. Where did you see them?"

Pink takes a map out of her pocket and unrolls it on a nearby table. She points at a particular village and says "here" before pointing in the direction that the escapees went.

"It seems they went right back towards the sea… it just might be them after all. I want you two, Pink and Link, to get some information from the towns along that path. Once your reconnaissance is done, then we'll prepare a scout party to go over to Japan."

"You don't mind if we… send some assistance when your group heads over to Japan" the main representative says, not wanting to be too pushy with the Amazons for fear of a reprisal.

Another brief consultation ensues before a response is given. "If she has turned her back on the tribe and not executed that female by now or married that Ranma that beat her in combat, then yes, she will need to be brought back her or killed on the spot. What worries me, though, is the one of elders is with her and could prove to be quite a formidable foe."

"Send us a message then, whenever you're ready. Surely two groups are stronger then one…"

"Indeed…"

Unaware of the new sentence on their heads, Shampoo and Mousse sleep peacefully after another intimate evening together. A change in the wind outside causes windows to shake and makes Cologne uneasy- she finishes closing down the restaurant for the night and begins looking through her some of her old scrolls. 'I think it's time to teach them both some of our most secret techniques, I have a bad feeling that trouble is coming sooner rather then later…'

Part of the sentence also concerns part of both couples on their way to northern Japan. Ryoga and Ukyo's train arrives first and the pair exit the train, following the instructions carefully. About fifteen minutes later, they arrive at the resort and head up to the check in counter.

"Do you have a reservation?" the clerk asks as they step up to the front counter.

"Umm, yeah. Ukyo Saotome… the reservation was called in advance."

The clerk looks down the list and finds two Saotome's listed for tonight. "Saotome… Ukyo… I got it right here" is his reply, pointing at the bottom of the two listings. "Let me get your room key…"

While waiting for the clerk, Ryoga and Ukyo take note of their surroundings. The fancy entranceway and waiting area denote only one thing- luxury.

"Your mom must be rich to afford sending us to a place like this…" Ryoga notes aloud while taking note of his surroundings.

"You can say that again, sugar. I almost feel out of place here…"

The head clerk motions to Ukyo a moment later. "Here is your key, please sign here. Your room is down the hallway to the right, last room on the right. If there's anything you and your fiancée need, please let me know…" he says with a polite bow.

"Fiancee?" Ukyo says, not believing that her mom made the reservation saying that.

"Ah, so it's a secret engagement perhaps?" is the reply from the clerk, wondering why she replied the way she did.

The brunette chef says nothing until she signs her name. She shrugs her shoulders and rather then argue about it, simply says: "I guess you could put it that way…"

"Well, have fun and enjoy your stay" the clerk says before returning to his duties. A very red Ryoga looks at Ukyo but says nothing. She nods her head in the direction of their room and the two silently head down the long hallway, taking in all the details of this fancy resort.

"Last room on the right…" Ukyo says softly to herself as the end of the hallway nears.

"Looks like it's number 128" Ryoga says, stopping in front of the door. Ukyo double checks that with the number on the key and nods her head.

After inserting the key and turning the handle, the chef simply says "Here goes nothing" before pushing open the door. Both teens eyes grow wider as they take their first look inside.

"Wow!" Ukyo says after stepping inside. "I've never stayed in such a fancy place before! Look at this room, Ryoga!"

The Lost boy closes the door and steps inside. "You aren't joking… your mom definitely has to be rich… I bet this probably cost over 15,000 yen a night, easy."

"There's a huge couch, paintings on the wall… the bathroom is huge…" Ukyo says, peeking into the rest of the cavernous accommodation that she'll be sharing with her boyfriend.

"And a water bed!" Ryoga says while putting his backpack down.

"I had no idea you were such a fan of those…" Ukyo says with a slight giggle.

"I was expecting us to be sleeping on the floor, in a futon…" Ryoga notes while sitting on the edge of the bed. "Put your stuff down and check this out!"

Needing no other encouragement, Ukyo drops her backpack to the ground and shyly sits next to her boyfriend.

"This is very romantic… I guess mom really wanted us to have fun this weekend, huh?"

"Yeah"

"I… don't mind, though. Ryoga, I want to… explore my feelings for you more."

That gets Ryoga's attention immediately. "Oh?"

Ukyo falls back on the soft bed, causing Ryoga to look down at her and grin. "Looks like you want to go to sleep"

"It's very comfortable… I'm really tempted to do something I've never done before" the brunette says softly.

"What's that?" Ryoga asks with a mix of fear and excitement.

A wide grin forms on the chef's face. "Mmm… lie down next to me and I'll tell you…"

"Uh, okay…"

After falling back on the bed, Ryoga glances over at his girlfriend and watches her, the sight of her chest rising and falling with each breath plus her last words make the young man wonder if she's really out to prove her how girly/sexy/feminine she can be.

"Ryoga, let's do it…"

"Do what?" is the innocent reply, though Ryoga senses the implications of her words.

"Something that I haven't done before and that I've wanted to do for a long time…" she says while taking his hand. "I need your help, Ryoga"

"Ummm, Ukyo… I don't know if I'm ready for this step, you know. I mean, you're cute and sexy but…"

A playful kiss on his cheek makes Ryoga blush. "Gotcha! What did you think I was talking about, my perverted boyfriend?"

Ryoga's face turns totally red and he's silent.

"I was talking about room service… I'm hungry, even though we ate that dinner you made on the train. Really, Ryoga, what kind of girl do you think I am?"

Ryoga sighs. "Now that you're a Saotome, well, I guess I should expect the unexpected. You really had me going there, I thought you wanted to… you know… get naughty."

"I was just teasing you… I'm not ready for anything like that. I am ready to relax and spend some quality time with you, though… how about a swim tomorrow before breakfast? I think some food and some rest is what we need."

Now it's Ryoga's turn to tease his girlfriend. "Okay, let's order that food and then we'll sleep together"

"Pervert…" Ukyo says, knowing that's not what he means but glad to see him playing along.

"Only as much as you are" is his reply while reaching for the menu on the nearby nightstand. "Let's eat!"

While the pair order their "midnight snack" and continue to joke with one another, the other Saotome couple arrives at the hotel and checks in.

"Reservation should be under Saotome…"

"Ah, yes, Ranma and Akane Saotome…" the clerk says, instantly knowing that this is the other Saotome couple on the list. Akane blushes and is about to sputter something out when Ranma steps up and signs the register.

"Yeah, that's us. Where's our room this time?"

"Yes, you've been here before- I recognize the name. Your room type has been upgraded for this visit, please head down the hallway to your right and take the last room on the left, number 127."

"Upgrade? Sounds good…" Akane says softly. Ranma takes the key and motions towards their room.

"Thanks for the help"

"Anytime, sir. Just let me know if you or your wife need anything" is the polite reply from the clerk.

The red blush on Akane's face increases as the youngest Tendo starts walking towards the room, Ranma follows right behind her.

A short time later, they reach their destination. "I guess that's us, 127"

"Looks like it to me, let me open this up and we can relax…" Ranma says while turning the key.

Both teens step inside and then close the door. Ranma flips the light switch and gasps aloud.

"Woah… damn. What kind of room is this?"

"Looks like a luxury hotel room to me…" Akane says, also surprised at what she sees. "Just how much money does your mom have, anyway?"

"I have no idea…" Ranma says before putting down his backpack. "We even have a bed this time… it looks kinda funny, though."

Dropping her backpack next to his, Akane falls back on the bed. "It's a waterbed, Ranma. Come check it out!"

"I ain't never seen one of these before…" Ranma says while eyeing the bed.

"Don't you want to sit next to your wife? Come over here!" Akane says jokingly.

"Looks like my mom is getting more serious about getting us together…" Lying down on the bed next to Akane, Ranma continues. "It's gonna be true sooner or later, right? I do want yah, tomboy…"

"And I want you, _baka_. It's still a little embarrassing to think about, though. That comment kind of caught me off guard."

"Me too. That's why I wanted to get into the room as soon as possible."

"And get me into bed again…" a giggle Akane adds.

"Hey! You're the one that told me to come sit next to you!" Ranma says while turning his head to look at his mischievous fiancée.

"Ranma… thanks for putting up with me. I'm not trying to be too forward, this is new for both of us."

"Yeah, definitely is. It's the hardest challenge I've had in a long time…"

Akane agrees with that. "Same here… and it's the same for me, too."

Silently, the pair stare at each other and wonder to themselves what to do next.

"Do you want to call it a night… or go for a swim?" Ranma asks, hoping for a yes to the second response, though liking the first one as well.

"Let's go swimming… I thought I saw some robes inside the bathroom when we came in."

"Okay. I'll change in here and you let me know when you're ready, so there's no 'accidents'"

"Sure…" Akane says, plotting out her next move. She grabs her backpack and heads into the large bathroom. After closing the door, she takes a look at herself and then at her backpack. 'Time to see how well Ranma likes my choices… I'm sure he'll love them just as much as I do'

A few minutes later, with her new swimsuit on, Akane takes another look in the mirror and grins. 'I hope I won't be too much tomboy for you to handle tonight…'

Akane carefully takes out her new black robe and puts it on over her swimsuit and then reaches for one of the white robes. 'I want to keep both of these things a surprise for him'

After putting on the white robe, Akane gently knocks on the bathroom door. "Are you done out there?"

"Yeah, I'm ready"

The door slowly opens and Ranma watches Akane come out, clad in full body white robe. She hands him the other one and the pig-tailed martial artist puts it on.

Tugging at the robe, Ranma cannot help but say: "This is way too fancy for my tastes"

"Oh come on, just enjoy it. It's just you and me, no insanity…"

"I hope THAT doesn't show up again…" Ranma says with a sneer, referring to Happosai's surprise visit last time.

"I hope not, I want to keep my top on tonight. No free shows, Ranma." Akane says before turning around. "Let's head down to one of the springs… hopefully they have a private one still available"

"Lead the way, Akane…"

To be continued in Chapter 17: A weekend at the Onsen

I was hoping to get through Ranma and Akane's part in the hot spring but I had so much to add to this chapter- it's already on page 42 and 2/3 of this was part B. I hope you'll be back for chapter 17!

I hope everyone caught the "Simpsons" reference in the end Ukyo/Ryoga part, if not, look for the episode where Homer and Mindy go to "Capital City, the windy apple" and are in the hotel together.


	17. Chapter 17: A weekend at the Onsen

Chapter 17: A weekend at the Onsen

Around midnight on Friday, the cloud filled sky clears, allowing the light of the nearly full moon to illuminate the night sky. This magical effect is not noticed by the occupants of Room 128, who are lying half awake on their bed- several trays are in front of their door in the hallway…

"I'm so stuffed…" Ukyo says while rubbing her stomach. "They make some pretty good food here…"

Ryoga stifles a small burp before responding. "You can say that again! I haven't eaten like that in a long time"

"I think this is one of mom's plans I'm not going to be complaining about, it's going good so far and the company is good…" Ukyo says with a smile.

"Definitely. It's not every day we get to do something like this, especially away from the insanity of Nerima." Ryoga says while moving his hand towards hers. The brunette chef notices this out of the corner of her eye and is delighted to see him making some moves, too.

"Now we can go to sleep, I'm too tired to do anything else" the brunette chef says before yawning aloud. "I'll be right back… why don't you get ready for bed, too?"

"Sure, I'll be waiting for you then"

Ukyo sits up on the bed and then walks over to her large backpack. Ryoga watches her take her pack into the bathroom and close the door. 'What a day… it's been a long one but pretty good. I'm finally getting used to this 'love' thing, I just need to be less nervous, that's all'

The lost boy hears happy humming coming from the bathroom as he changes into his sleepwear, letting him know that his girlfriend is in a good mood. Inside the bathroom, Ukyo is admiring the robes the hotel provides for their guests.

"This is super fancy, I can't wait to check out the hot springs tomorrow and maybe do some hiking up in the mountains here" the young woman says to herself softly before turning her attention to her backpack. 'What to wear to bed? Maybe my casual sleepwear would be comfortable here, I'm sure he's not going to complain'

A small giggle is heard by Ryoga a moment later and he wonders what's going on in the bathroom. 'She seems so happy today, it's really nice to see that'

It doesn't take long for Ukyo to change into an oversized black T-shirt and shorts, something she normally saved for the hot summer season for night wear. She puts her used clothes in a separate part of her backpack and heads back into the main room, where she finds Ryoga patiently waiting for her.

The lost boy says nothing but his eyes are fixed on Ukyo- he has never seen her wear this outfit before and he likes how she looks in it.

After getting in bed the brunette chef turns and looks at her silent boyfriend.

"I take it you like what I'm wearing"

A silent nod and a slight blush says "yes" for Ryoga.

"Thanks, sugar- I normally don't wear this in the fall but I wanted to be more relaxed, more casual for our little trip"

"It works… you've been in such a good mood all day…" Ryoga says, voicing his observations of the day so far. "It's good to see you having fun"

"Of course and we're going to have more fun tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah"

Ukyo leans over and hits the light switch, darkening the room. The moonlight outside, which had previously been hidden by the lights in room now comes in through the series of rectangular windows on the far wall, casting its glow on Ukyo.

Ryoga makes an observation immediately. "Beautiful"

It's Ukyo's turn to be silent, she looks at her boyfriend and blushes. Her heart suddenly begins beating faster and faster, especially as he moves in to give her a kiss.

"Ryoga"

"Ukyo"

Only two words are exchanged before the two lovers' lips meet. Ukyo can feel the passion in her boyfriends' kiss and reacts accordingly. 'He's only kissed me like this a few times before, I like it. It makes me feel good inside'

Ryoga can tell his girlfriend likes his sudden bold and romantic move and begins gently caressing her cheek and hair as the passionate kissing continues. The initial feeling of nervousness he had is overcome by his desire to show some affection for his beautiful girlfriend. He feels her arms wrapping around him, pulling him closer- it isn't long before their bodies are pressing against each other…

"Mmm… at least I know you can't get lost when it comes to me…" the brunette teases after pulling away her lips for some much needed air.

"You're umm… easy to navigate, umm I mean…" Ryoga stops speaking after realizing how that just sounded.

Ukyo feels the urge to call him "pervert" for saying that but refrains from doing so. 'Why should I say this is a bad thing? It's not… it's a natural thing for people who are involved to do…'

"More"

Ryoga is surprised by her answer. "Huh?"

Ukyo winks seductively at her boyfriend. "I want to kiss you some more before bed…. please?"

"S-sure… umm… that's no problem…" the Lost Boy stammers while looking into her soft, eyes.

"Good, I think we could always use some more practice, right?" the chef says, trying to sound bold herself.

"Y-yeah" Ryoga says before wrapping his own arms around her, wanting this to be as passionate as possible. The feelings inside the Lost Boy as he once again kisses Ukyo intensify- he feels like he's melting inside, the emotions seem to overwhelm him.

After getting lost in what seems to be like an eternity in each other's affections, Ryoga gently pulls away, his face crimson red just his girlfriend's. She's blushing from more then emotion, though- Ryoga's hands are on her hips.

Ukyo breaks the silence with a happy comment about what just happened. "Now that's a good night kiss!"

"Maybe we should umm… do this more often"

The brunette snuggles her head into his chest before replying. "Yes, I think we should."

Content with that answer and with himself, the Lost Boy finds the blanket and pulls it over them both.

"Thank you Ryoga"

"Anything for you, Ukyo" is his response before relaxing and falling asleep. The content okonomiyaki chef sighs softly and falls asleep herself, seduced by the softness of the bed, blanket, and the warm feeling of her boyfriend's body.

This couple isn't the only one that's enjoying the show that the moon is giving tonight. Ranma and Akane find out from the front desk that several private springs are open and head over to the one they used before. When Ranma gets over to the small locker area, he takes off his robe and stashes it inside.

"Well, we're here… again" is Ranma's comment before walking over towards the hot spring pool. When Akane doesn't follow, he turns around.

"Ranma, I have a surprise for you" the youngest Tendo sister says softly.

That immediately gets his attention. "Oh?"

"I got something that I know you'll like… I know I do…" Akane says before reaching for the knot on the front of the robe. As she unties the cord and lets the robe hit the ground, Ranma cannot help but have a feeling of déjà vu…

'The way she did that reminds me of when she was possessed by that doll… wow… look at that robe…'

Inwardly, Akane grins. 'I knew this would get his attention, and I even did it the way that doll used on him a while back. Let's see what he says about the fabric, design, and the horse…'

Stepping forward, Akane approaches her fiancée and waits for his comments.

"Akane, I like the new threads, very nice!" he says while reaching out to hold her.

"Thanks, Ranma. I love this robe, it's so soft"

Ranma pulls her into a hug and starts rubbing his hands along her back- discovering for himself how true her last statement actually is. She does the same and waits for more of Ranma's comments. "Yeah, it's very soft. I could hold yah forever in this"

"I'll keep that in mind" the flattered young woman says in return. "You like the design and color?"

"Sure, I think black is a good color for yah and it looks good. A lot better then the last time you wore somethin' like this…" Ranma says, referring to the "cursed doll" incident.

"At least I'm not possessed this time and there's no doll at this hotel" Akane says jokingly.

"There better not be, I don't need another crazy night like that again"

Akane drives that point home. "If you see any dolls here, you better stay away from them!"

"You better believe it. Still, I got to see somethin' in you that I didn't see again until recently…"

Having an idea of what he means, Akane softly sighs. "This time it's for real, though… so when I tell you I want to take a walk with you, don't freak out and think I'm out to kill you or anything"

"I ain't gonna worry about that, don't worry"

Akane rests her head on his shoulder. "Good. As you can see, I don't to need to be evil to be… what did you tell me after that incident before I hit you?"

"Hmm…" Ranma pauses to recall that incident in his mind. "I said you were cuter when you were evil and definitely more sexy"

"And is that still the case?" Akane asks hopefully, wanting a "no" answer.

"You're cute and sexy whether you're being good or bad" Ranma says with a grin, teasing his fiancée a little.

"Ha-ha Ranma. Be serious" Akane says wryly.

"It's better when it's really you and when you really mean it. Like now…" is the more serious reply given by Ranma. Akane wraps her arms around him even tighter, enjoying the private moment with her "baka".

A cool night wind blows through a moment later, sending chilly air against both teens, though only Ranma reacts.

"I thought it was supposed to be warm tonight"

"We're up in the mountains, you know that makes the weather unpredictable"

"I guess so." Ranma pulls back a little and gets a better look at the front of her robe. "Hey, what's that?"

"You finally noticed- what do you think of the design on the front?"

Ranma instantly recognizes what it is. "It's a horse… heh. I wonder why you picked that?"

"Hmm, I wonder…" Akane says playfully.

"It's really well stitched…" Ranma says, suddenly fascinated by the horse design. His fiancée nods her head, acknowledging the compliment and then feels his right hand touching her robe again.

Ranma runs his fingers along the line of the horse stitching. "It feels different then the rest of the robe, it's soft but firm…"

Tilting her head back, Akane feels a battle brewing inside as her fiancée continues touching the horse on the front of the of her robe. A blush forms as the feelings increase, Ranma has put most of his hand over the design. 'Mmm… what is he doing?'

In the next few seconds the battle gets even more heated… Akane is trying to decide whether she wants this to continue or not… pleasure versus the thought of this being perverted.

Ranma soon feels her decision as a sudden push sends him reeling backwards, he trips and falls back into the hot spring. Needless to say the martial artist is a little miffed by what just happened.

"HEY! What the hell was that for?" the drenched Ranma asks while looking at his fiancée.

Akane plans her response carefully, slowly walking up to the edge of the pool and peering down at her angry boyfriend. "What's wrong? Did I accidently touch your chest? Jeez, Ranma, you can be so…"

"So what?" Ranma says, feeling the need for an answer.

Realizing what she just done and what kind of mood her fiancée is in, Akane chides herself aloud. "So perverted… arrgh! Damn it!"

A very confused Ranma just blinks and looks at his now confused fiancée.

"I'm sorry, it's just you were touching my… breast and I reacted without thinking. I could've just told you to stop…" Akane admits softly.

"Oh shit, I was doing that… no wonder it felt so…" Ranma gulps. "I mean, sorry, I didn't mean to touch yah like that"

There's an uncomfortable silence between the two lovers as they both take stock of what just happened. 'He didn't do that on purpose and now I might have ruined the mood. Damn it Akane, why'd you do that? My impulses got me again… it really wasn't that bad and it actually felt good, despite being perverted'

Ranma trembles a little, realizing that he was just touching her in an intimate way that she wasn't quite ready for. 'Damn, I hope she forgives me. Tonight was going so good before this and I don't wanna waste this time alone with her'

After taking a few deep breaths, Akane backsteps a little and makes a decision. 'I don't want to waste this surprise, or my time with him. I think it's time for the swimsuit'

"Ranma, hold on. I'll be right back"

After Akane turns around and heads back towards the lockers, Ranma breathes a sigh of relief. 'Whew, I thought she was going to get mad or somethin' with me. I wonder what she's gonna do now? Just soak or are we gonna talk or do somethin' else?'

Several yards away, Akane carefully disrobes and neatly folds her new robe, taking extra care to keep it clean and folded properly. Once the robe is stowed the young woman pauses in front of the small mirror and checks her swimsuits' fit before rounding the corner and showing her fiancée.

'Looking good, Akane. Let's show Ranma how cute tomboys can really be… and make up for that last incident and enjoy our time together tonight'

Wanting to make this even more of a surprise, Akane has some instructions for her fiancée. "Ranma, close your eyes"

"Okay" is the soft reply before he complies and patiently waits, though he cannot stop his heart from pounding in his chest.

Akane quietly steps forward and goes into the hot spring, walking behind Ranma before telling him to open his eyes.

"Huh? Why are you behind me?"

"Because we need to talk a little first before I distract you again…" is the response with a slight giggle at the end from Akane. "I want you to help me practice my swimming, what should we do first?"

"Hmm. I think we should soak for a little while and loosen up our muscles. You've got most of the strokes down, there's just one thing I want to help you practice tonight"

"Oh?" the curious Akane responds. "What's that?"

Ranma relaxes and let's the water cover him all the way up to his neck, his fiancée follows his lead a moment later and waits for an answer to her question.

"Floatin', yah gotta work on that some more. You can't let think bother you when you're doing that or you'll drown"

Akane likes the sound of that. "Okay, we'll work on that… but first I'm going to help you loosen up a little, you look tense."

Ranma immediately gets nervous. "It's probably cause of this… situation that we're in now."

"I told you there's nothing to worry about, Ranma- no evil dolls here" is the half-serious reply to that. "Let me massage your shoulders"

After hearing no objection to her idea, Akane's hands get to work. Ranma feels his troubles melt away with the shoulder massage…

"Ranma, what did you want to do tomorrow after breakfast? Did you still want to go hiking with me?"

"Sure, let's get some fresh air and stretch out. We can take a break and practice a few moves, too"

"Okay. I'd like to learn some more from you, too- not just the moves that perverted old man is teaching" Akane says with a slight hint of disgust at the end.

That makes Ranma pause and the martial artist wants to make a point without upsetting his fiancée. He takes a few seconds to think and then speaks.

"I wanna help you, I mean, part of the problem sometimes is letting someone else help you out…"

That comment strikes a chord with Akane and she realizes that she has been stubborn in the past, thinking she could figure out everything herself and brushing off help some of the time. "I agree… I think we're both guilty of that one, right?"

Pride almost makes Ranma want to say "no" but he says a soft "yes" instead, earning a quick hug from Akane.

"Thanks for being honest, Ranma" Akane says softly before her fiancée turns his head, trying to get a look at her.

"No problem… but you do have me curious. What's this other surprise? Is that why you're hiding from me?"

"Maybe. I just want to make sure you're ready- that's why I wanted you to be relaxed. I got something else when I went shopping with Nabiki"

"Oh, okay"

Wanting to see what she's wearing, Ranma tries to relax and think of something else. He tilts his head back and looks up at the night sky and the bright light of the moon.

"Sky looks pretty clear tonight" he says while relaxing his muscles. Akane tilts her head and follows suit and likes how pretty the stars and the moon look in the nighttime sky.

"Yeah, it's beautiful. I think we can get a better look, though by practicing some floating"

"Hmm, not a bad idea" Ranma says as he feels Akane's arms let go of him. His fiancée appears in front of him a moment later.

"Wow, nice!" is the immediately reply from Ranma, showing his feelings for her new choice in bathing suit.

"Thanks! I was hoping that you'd like it… and that I wouldn't be too much tomboy to handle when I showed you"

The slightly blushing martial artist chooses his next words carefully. "Nah, it's no problem. I like the dark green color and the way it umm… shows off your body"

Any doubts about Akane's appearance being anything but attractive had gone out the window long ago yet Ranma is still fascinated every time he sees her in some new like this- including this occurrence. 'She has such nice legs and hips… and a full figure, very nice. She definitely picked a good one here'

"It's nice but not too revealing, I agree with you one hundred percent"

After hearing that, Ranma's thoughts return to the present. "Are you ready ta float?"

"Of course"

"Good, just lie back and relax and let your body float on it's own. Don't worry about anythin', okay?"

"Okay"

The two teens lie back and relax, enjoying the warm feeling of the water and the beautiful scenery above.

"You're doing good, just keep on relaxing" Ranma calls out encouragingly after a few minutes go by. "The key is to do this while being distracted and not drown"

"Got it"

"Hey, there's the old pervert!" Ranma calls out as a test for his floating fiancée, who coolly reacts by turning her head to one side and the other. "Nice try, Ranma"

"Just testing yah, you're doing good so far" Ranma says with much approval.

'Maybe I should test him' is the next thought going through Akane's mind. She does her best to sound genuine with her next call out. "Someone's stealing our stuff! My robe!"

Ranma panics for a moment, knowing that Akane loves her new robe, as does he. After turning his head and seeing no one, he breathes a sigh of relief.

"You almost made me panic there, tomboy- I was worried someone was stealing your new robe"

"I almost got you" the giggling Akane says before resuming her viewing of the night sky.

Both teens feel that the current situation is like an inform game in progress with the object to make the other panic. The "tomboy" decides to let her "baka" make the next move and react accordingly. She doesn't have to wait very long…

"Akane, there's someone watching you, over there by the waterfall- and they look perverted"

"Huh?" is the confused response from Akane as her eyes start scanning in that direction. "There's nothing there!"

"You must've missed 'em, probably was one of those wild monkeys or somethin'"

"The only wild monkey here that's looking at me is you, Ranma" Akane says, trying to provoke a response out of Ranma.

Ranma sidesteps that comment. "I thought I was a wild horse, not a monkey… but I've been lookin' at yah a little here"

Going back to the old school insults, the mischievous tomboy continues to tease her fiancée.

"That must mean that I'm not uncute or flat-chested, right? I think you've already taken that matter into your own hands"

Ranma is not amused by that reference to his accidental groping a short while ago. "Ha ha, you know that was an accident"

"I think sometimes I got busty just to spite you, at least the old you and those comments"

The pig-tailed martial artist can't believe what he's hearing coming out of his fiancee's mouth. "Now that's just silly, Akane… you've been spending too much time with Happosai, you're sounding really perverted lately"

"And you're not? You're not saying perverted things, you're acting them out- so we're even"

'Speaking of perverted things- hmm. I think I can get her to react, I just gotta get closer to her'

"Admit it, Ranma" Akane says after not hearing a reply to her last comment.

"Fine, fine- we're both a bunch of perverted martial artists. Happy now?" he says while gently kicking his feet a few times, angling his body towards hers.

Akane cannot help but make a self-observation about her current mood. "I think I am, I've never been in such a good mood before"

"Well, this is the most luxurious trip I've ever been on and you're here so that's a good start" Ranma admits with a blush as he drifts into a parallel course with Akane and just within arms reach. 'She already called me perverted, so this ain't gonna change nothing'

Hoping that Akane's arms will stay where they are, parallel to her body, Ranma slowly moves his left hand towards her back, being careful not to upset the delicate equilibrium that's keeping him afloat.

Deep in thought, Akane doesn't notice what her fiancée is doing until she feels a gentle tug on her back… and reacts accordingly.

Standing up immediately, Akane look over at her fiancée and yells his name. "RANMA!"

Ranma whistles and pretends to be innocent. "What?"

"You unhooked my bikini top!" the blushing Tendo says while reattaching the back hooks.

Standing up, Ranma delivers more bad news. "And you just lost the game"

Instead of hearing a witty remark in return the pig-tailed martial artist finds himself in a tight embrace with his fiancée who softly whispers in his ear.

"Thanks for helping me out, I won't be afraid of the water any more. I won't sink like a brick…"

"No, you won't. I don't want anythin' bad to happen to my tomboy" is the soft reply back by Ranma before he wraps his arms around his fiancée. "That was fun"

"Yeah, it was. Play me again tomorrow?" Akane asks eagerly.

"Sure thing and sorry about that sneaky move"

A large grin forms on Akane's face. "Oh, it's okay, it's not like you were trying to peek or anything- I would've done something like that to you if I had thought of it… I could've pulled on your swim trunks after all"

"True"

Taking Ranma's hand into hers, Akane gently holds it and pulls him towards the lockers and the exit. "Let's go to bed… we can get a good night's sleep without worrying about anyone bothering us in the morning"

"Mom did take us by surprise, didn't she?" Ranma says, remembering this morning's incident.

"Yeah"

The pair head back to the lockers and dry off. Ranma puts on his robe and then watches with some fascination as Akane puts on her black robe again and ties the knot on the front.

"Come on, you can stare my robe later… or maybe hold me in it, if you're lucky" the teasing tomboy says as she grabs her own white robe and carries it with her.

Saying nothing, Ranma takes her hand and pulls her back to their room where Akane comfortably snuggles against her fiancee's, allowing him to gently hold her and rub her back. A tranquil end to an interesting evening for this couple… but the past evening wasn't all fun and games for everyone, as is evidenced the next morning in Nerima.

End Part A

Begin Part B

Saturday morning

Early in the morning, one of the three Tendo's is having quite the dream. Visions of love, of her two sisters finding it that is, fill her mind while her own love stays aloof and out of reach. Vainly she chases after her love, who's crazy ways keep her from catching him. Time seems to pass and she can see herself getting old and older, her two sisters get married and have children and yet she remains apart and alone from the man she really wants…

"Wait, wait for me! Don't leave me!" Kasumi cries out, tears in her eyes. The vision of Doctor Tofu gets further and further away and is soon out of sight…

A shocked Kasumi suddenly wakes up and realizes that she was having a dream which turned out to be quite the nightmare. 'It's been so long since I've had a nightmare, especially something as… emotional as this.'

After rubbing her eyes, the eldest Tendo realizes that she's been crying in her sleep- all the more reason for her to feel depressed at the moment. She gets out of bed, looks at herself in the mirror and recalls the events of the last night… which cause her to begin crying again.

Nabiki, who happens to be passing her sisters' room on her way back from the bathroom hears the crying and is immediately concerned. She opens the door to Kasumi's room and peeks her head inside. "Kasumi? Are you all right?"

The very emotional Kasumi turns her head to look at her younger sister, giving the middle Tendo a full view of her tear-stained face.

"What's wrong?"

Not able to respond verbally, Kasumi moves forward and hugs her sister. Nabiki can feel Kasumi shaking and begins to get very worried about her older sister.

"Tofu…" is about Kasumi can say and it only takes a few moments for Nabiki to figure out the story and what happened last night.

"Kasumi, you went to see him last night, right?"

"Yes" the older brunette says softly, her sobbing slowly coming to a halt.

"Did he act crazy? Act stupid?"

"I just went to return a book and to say hello, I haven't seen him in so long and he…"

"Sis, it's okay. You don't have to say anything more" Nabiki says while imaging what happened. 'Sis has finally hit the breaking point with this and his goofiness- I'm surprised she lasted this long. She's so patient but even that runs out… why does he have to be like this? Kasumi is head over heels in love with him!'

"Nabiki, there's more… I just had a nightmare… about being alone" Kasumi admits softly, bringing Nabiki's attention back to the problem.

"Oh no…"

"It's been so long since I've had one, that must be why I'm so… so…"

"Sis, you know I'm not… good with stuff like this. I do know that you really like Doctor Tofu and that he likes you…" Nabiki says, trying to bring the words together as best she can.

Hearing her sister say that, Kasumi wants to hear more of what she has to say. "Go on"

"Well, umm… I don't what it is, but all three of us ended up with ummm… special partners"

A small smile forms on Kasumi's face after hearing that. "Lucky us"

"Yeah"

"I should get breakfast started…" the elder Tendo sister says while pulling away. She wipes the tears from her eyes and tries to compose herself. "I'll be fine…"

"Kasumi" Nabiki says softly, not entirely believing her sister is okay. She watches her sister leave the room and then sighs aloud. 'This is something that I could use some help with, I'll have to talk to Akane about this when she comes back from her trip'

After exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind her, Nabiki is surprised to see Nodoka Saotome at the end of the hallway.

"Something seems wrong with your sister, she's normally so happy and energetic, even in the early morning"

"Yeah" is the quick reply from Nabiki who quickly debates whether or not to discuss this topic with the Saotome matriarch.

Nodoka continues relating her observation to Nabiki. "She seems… sad this morning. I wonder what happened?"

"Auntie…"

"Yes, Nabiki, what is it?"

"She had some… problems last night. There's this one guy that she really likes…"

Nodoka nods her head. "Doctor Tofu? Your father has mentioned that young fellow… and his very odd habits…"

"Kasumi's at the end of her rope with him… I don't she can take much more of this separation- all because of his crazyness every time he sees her" the middle Tendo sister says, getting right to the point.

"I see… hmm. I'll see if I can help out, I've already helped out my son with his problem so maybe it's time to change gears here…"

"Umm, yeah… we need to umm, figure this out…" Nabiki says nervously while taking a few steps towards her room. 'I hope she doesn't want to jump into "helping" my relationship with Kuno'

"Exactly. You should get ready for breakfast, I'm sure it'll be up soon. I bet you can't wait to head out and visit your own boyfriend- what was his name again?"

Nabiki gulps. "Tatewaki Kuno"

A smile forms on Nodoka's face. "If you need any help, please don't be afraid to ask. I'm here to make sure everyone's happy after all- I'm sure you can see how my work has helped Ranma and Akane"

A soft nod is Nabiki's acknowledgement of that fact before she heads into her room and closes the door.

'I'm sorry Kasumi if I unleashed anything bad on you… Auntie Nodoka is out to help all of us out. Still, she might be right, Akane has never been happier and she's a lot more honest with herself. She finally gotta her "Baka", just like she wanted'

Though she had not mentioned it to anyone, Nabiki does have plans for a later morning date. 'I think she has the power to read minds sometimes- but I better get dressed'

After yawning and stretching her arms towards the ceiling, the brunette opens her closet and begins looking for a nice outfit for her date.

Down the hallway, Nodoka is hurriedly getting her husband ready for his long day…

"Now now, I don't want to hear it. You've got plenty of debts to pay off Genma and you're going to live up to your end of the agreement- you did say that both you and Ranma would come back as 'honorable' men"

"But, but" Genma sputters, trying to come up with an answer.

One movement of his wife's hand towards the sword hanging on the side of her kimono silences Genma and gets him "motivated" for the day ahead.

"You'll have time to sleep in tomorrow…" Nodoka says, offering a small ray of hope to her husband.

"Yes, dear…" the sighing Genma says before getting dressed. "At least I'll get a good breakfast before going out…"

"That's right, Kasumi is making it right now. We need food from the market for Ukyo's restaurant- you and I will be running it again today. Our daughter is counting on us"

Resigning himself to his fate, Genma shrugs his shoulders. "That she is…"

It isn't long before breakfast is served at the Tendo house. Despite her own personal turmoil, Kasumi still manages to put her full heart and soul into her cooking, delighting the taste buds of everyone at the table and getting favorable comments in return. Even Happosai is more jovial then usual as a result of breakfast- he declares that he'll be making an extra long "Run" due to this extra energy, much to everyone else's chagrin.

Nabiki also makes a quick exit and heads over to visit her boyfriend. The middle Tendo, dressed in a snugly fitting top and jeans, arrives and finds him wandering around his room, apparently in search of something.

"What are you looking for?"

"My tennis racket, I seem to recall have an interest in the game. I have memories of us playing the game together" is his response while continuing the search.

"That's true… you even proposed to me one time while I was on my way to practice" Nabiki says with a wink. "Needless to say I was shocked"

"Ah, yes- I do remember that incident. Are your words in reply still good?"

A red blush covers Nabiki's face as she remembers the half-joking way she replied to his comment about marriage. 'I was kidding with him… but maybe something inside me wanted it to be real. These days, well… it's too early to be thinking about anything of that sort!'

"Let's talk about that later…" Nabiki says, wanting to deflect attention away from that topic. "What's in this box over here?" she says, pointing at a square box on the shelf. "That writing looks familiar"

"I have no idea…" the curious Kuno says before walking over to the box in question. He gently opens the lid and peers inside. "It appears to be some kind of egg"

Having a sudden sense of dread, the brunette walks over to see this for herself. "Egg? Let me see…"

"Yes, a large egg of some type"

Nabiki gasps aloud. "Oh no…"

"Is something the matter, fair Nabiki?"

Gently closing the lid, Nabiki decides to give a brief explanation. "Lock this up immediately, trust me you'll be doing everyone a favor"

"I do not understand- what is this?"

A soft sigh escapes Nabiki's lips. "It's a long story… let's just say you used it once before and it caused a whole lot of trouble"

"Oh… I do not recall any incident with this egg but I will follow your advice, since I trust you" is the reply to that before he closes the lid.

'Trust me… he trusts me after all I did to him- surely he remembers something of the past'

Thoughtfully, Nabiki looks at her boyfriend as he carries the box with the Phoenix egg over to a large chest with a lock on it. He puts the box inside and locks the chest, securing the egg from any casual theft.

"The egg is secure, fair Nabiki"

Nabiki breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! That's a Phoenix egg, you know"

That surprises Kuno. "I thought such a creature was mythical?"

"You proved that it's not a few months ago… we don't need it on the loose again."

A few memories of that incident flash into the young man's mind and he cringes briefly before feeling the need to rub his neck for some reason. His girlfriend sees this and smiles…

"I told you it was real, your neck is reacting to the memory of having that large yellow bird on it"

"I see. Perhaps you and I can search for other items that will help me remember my past, there must be plenty of them in this room- I have already disposed of two shelves worth of improper pictures" he says while pointing at a large stretch of empty shelving which was full of picture books last time Nabiki was here.

'Wow… he got rid of all of those pictures of Ranma and Akane that I sold him, he's definitely turned over a new leaf if that's the case. I haven't heard him say "pig-tailed girl" once since he went off those meds'

Nabiki nervously chuckles. "You definitely got rid of them all…"

"'Tis no small task- I wonder how I came to have so many pictures of a redhead and your sister Akane Tendo. The bonfire last night lasted for quite some time"

"Oh…" Nabiki says after hearing that, glad inside that her boyfriend has turned his back on that part of his past. "I still see something on the shelf, over there"

Seeing where his girlfriend is looking, Kuno walks over to the shelf and grabs a large envelope. "This?"

"What's in there?" the ever curious brunette asks after seeing what seems to be her name written on it.

"Ah, yes, I have not showed you the contents of this envelope yet. See for yourself" Kuno says before handing the envelope to Nabiki, who opens it up and looks at the photos within.

"These are pictures of us- I don't remember you taking any pictures" a slightly confused Nabiki says before putting them back in the envelope. "They look good, though"

"I had Sasuke take a few pictures of us during our dates, I am glad you approve of the pictures"

After hearing that, Nabiki suddenly remembers another important set of pictures that Kuno has. "Kuno-baby, where are those special entry pictures of me?"

"Those are under lock and key in my desk over there, I would not wish them to get stolen and get out to the general public" Kuno says with a firm nod.

Nabiki feels bad, since he just referred to a potentially damaging picture getting out into circulation, just like the ones that Kuno had burned last night. Her head tilts down slightly, causing Kuno to react immediately.

"Do not worry" he says before pulling her into a warm embrace. "The pictures of my brunette goddess are quite safe from prying eyes"

Overcome with emotions, the middle Tendo sisters' face turns beet red. She rests her head on his chest and tries to calm her now rapidly beating heart. 'Despite all that I did to him, he still called me a goddess… and he actually means that- no games, no teasing… no wonder I'm so… so…'

"Thank you" she whispers softly, not knowing what else to say at the moment.

"I only speak the truth… and do not worry about your past activities- you could have judged me the same way. Your skills in matters of… finance and commerce are quite formidable…" is Kuno's reply back, carefully working the last sentence to avoid offending the young woman in his arms.

Nabiki immediately feels better. "I'm glad you recognize my skills, I think you and I could make quite a deadly combo"

"Indeed"

"Kuno-baby, what did you want to do today? I've already had breakfast so…"

Wanting to spend some time with his girlfriend in a "new" activity, Kuno comes up with a suggestion a moment later. "Help me find my tennis racket and we can indulge in some tennis before lunch at a restaurant of your choosing"

"I like the sound of that! Let's find your racket and get out on the courts…"

After a short search, the pair find the missing tennis rackets and head down to the nearby tennis courts and engage in some friendly but heated matches against each other…

In the later morning hours, Ukyo wakes up after a long and peaceful night's rest. She opens her eyes and gently pulls away from her boyfriend's chest.

'It's been a long time since I've been so refreshed after a good night's sleep… wait a second…'

The brunette chef realizes that something just isn't right and looks at where her boyfriend's hands are at.

'His hands are on my butt… that's the first time I've seen him do that. Maybe he's getting more interested in me as a whole, I wonder…'

Turning her head, Ukyo catches a glance of the current time and realizes that the breakfast buffet will soon be over.

"Wake up!" she calls out to her sleeping boyfriend, to no avail. The only response she gets is a slight squeeze by his hands on her butt, which causes her to blush.

"Ryoga!"

After not getting a response that time either, she decides to try something more unorthodox and begins tickling the sleeping Lost Boy… who starts to wake up and begins laughing uncontrollably.

"Hey, that tickles, stop that!"

Ukyo grins and makes a verbal observation. "I had no idea you were ticklish, I'll have to remember that"

Ryoga rolls his eyes and then puts his hands on her shoulders. "Nice wake up call, Ukyo"

"Sugar, the breakfast buffet is going to be closing soon, we've got to get down there" the brunette says with some urgency. "I'm hungry!"

"Well, me too…"

"Then let's go!" Ukyo says before rolling off the bed. Ryoga follows suit and the two rush out of their room…

Across the hallway, Ranma and Akane have also lost of track of time but for a different reason. For the last half hour the pair had been talking and doing morning stretching exercises…

"Ready to eat?" Akane asks eagerly. "I'm hungry"

"Me too, let's get some food!"

"What time does the breakfast buffet close? There's something about it on that paper over there"

Ranma looks at the paper in question and then quickly looks down at the clock radio. "Damn!"

"What is it?"

"We only got twenty minutes left!"

"Then we've got to go down now" Akane says while motioning towards the door. Ranma follows right behind her and as soon as the pair step through the door they run into a little surprise…

"What're you doing here?" is the question asked by all four teens simultaneously. Upon seeing Akane, Ryoga backs off a little and positions himself behind Ukyo. Akane sees this but says nothing, not wanting to cause any more of a problem with her future sister-in-law and her boyfriend.

The two Saotome siblings realize the answer to the question at the same time and look at each other.

"Mom?"

"You got it, sugar"

"Figures" Akane adds. "Your mom is always up to something… but who's complaining about this place?"

"Not us, Ryoga and I had so much fun here last night, right Ryoga?" Ukyo says while turning to look at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, umm, this is a nice place… good food…" Ryoga says softly.

"Speaking of food…" Akane draws attention back to their current situation. "We'd better get down there before we miss our breakfast, I can hear Ranma's stomach growling already…"

The pig-tailed martial artist isn't amused by that comment. "Ha ha, Akane. Your own stomach is bein' louder then mine, anyway."

"Akane has a point, let's go eat and we can talk…" the brunette chef says before heading down the hallway with Ryoga in tow. "Just watch out for the doll by the entrance" the giggling brunette says, teasing both Ranma and Akane as she leaves.

Akane and Ranma look at each other and shake their heads.

"That will never die, will it?" Ranma says, referring to that incident.

"Nope, and I'll be the last one to forget it! I'm glad you didn't take advantage of me, despite that dolls advances"

"I knew that wasn't the real Akane… I like how you tease me, it's more, you know, realistic…"

"I'm glad to hear that… let's talk about that more later…" Akane says after her stomach growls loudly.

"Okay- it seems like Ryoga is making Ukyo happy, I'm glad to see that…"

"Whatever makes your sister happy- remember when we thought they got together that first time?"

"Oh yeah, I remember that- and they were trying to break us up but they got caught by all those ghosts and stuff…" Ranma says, recalling that incident in the "Tunnel of Lost Love"

"It didn't work, did it?"

"Nope, I still got my tomboy right here"

"And I got my baka"

The four teens get their first plate of the western style food and sit down at a table in the hotel restaurant and talk, swapping stories of how they got set up to come to this resort.

End Part B.

Start Part C.

Ukyo gets things started conversation-wise. "So, Akane, how are the outdoor springs here? That's what you used last night, right?"

"Yeah, they're pretty nice. Nice and quiet…"

Ukyo likes the sound of that. "Sounds good, right, Ryoga?"

"Y-yeah, it does…"

Akane senses the Lost Boy's uneasiness and decides to tease him about it. "As long as you don't get lost, right, Ryoga?"

Ryoga is not amused. "Hey! I haven't gotten lost in a while… maybe some of Ukyo's sense of direction is rubbing off on me or something"

"Maybe… this is the first time you've replied to me and not cowered, you know"

Ranma and Ukyo look at Akane and realize that she does have a point and quietly watch this conversation.

"I guess… Ukyo's been a great help" Ryoga admits softly. "I'm still think you're dangerous…" is the reply back to Akane who can't help but grin.

"Yeah… that's true- but look at it this way. If you and I had gotten together somehow, what do you think I would've done the first time I saw you as a pig?" Akane says, getting right to the point.

"Umm… well…" Ryoga thinks about that and tries to come up with an answer. "I guess the same thing as what happened earlier…"

"Exactly. I don't mean to harp on that, but you just weren't made for this tomboy"

"Heh" Ranma says, finally getting a word into the conversation.

"He just needed a chef's touch, that's all…" Ukyo says softly, causing Ryoga to blush.

"Can we talk about something else?" the exasperated Lost Boy cries out, quickly tiring of all of this attention.

"Okay- what are you two going to do after breakfast?" Ukyo says, addressing her brother and Akane.

"Hiking, me an' Akane are going on this trail we didn't see the last time, it's supposed to be very scenic or somethin'"

"Yeah, it should be fun. How about you two?"

The brunette chef grins. "Hot springs. Definitely- I want to relax and unwind… and then maybe we'll take a walk around a little, check out the scenery"

Ryoga likes what he hears and nods his head. "Yeah, that sounds good…"

Akane wipes her mouth and then looks at Ranma, who's already finished eating, leaving a spotless plate. "We're off… see you two later…"

"Okay, have fun" Ukyo says while waving at the departing couple. Ryoga silently watches the two leave and then breathes a sigh of relief.

"Whew… I'm glad that's over"

The brunette is a little dismayed by that comment. "Hey, it's not like Akane was out to kill you at the table. You both can be civil with each other- don't forget that Ran-chan is my brother now so you'll be seeing more of him and Akane"

"Yeah, I just wasn't sure what was going to happen, that's all. She does have a reputation of being quite… energetic…" the Lost Boy says, phrasing his reply to convey his thought in a milder manner.

Wanting to get off of this subject, Ukyo reaches over and tugs on Ryoga's sleeve. "I suppose so… but let's forget about that. Let's go!"

Seeing that Ukyo wants to go and spending some time with him, especially in a relaxing and possibly romantic setting like the private hot springs, the Lost Boy knows the direction he needs to head- forward.

Ranma and Akane head back to their room and then head out for one of the more ambitious trail loops, stopping to get some extra food and water for their trip at the hotel shops before leaving. The crisp morning air is slowly getting warmed by the sun as the two follow the map provided by the front desk up into the higher elevations and the forests therein.

During the first leg of the trip, Ranma and Akane engage and small talk and enjoy their surroundings, stopping to take an occasional picture. After an hour and brief rest stop at one of the designated stops on the path things begin to get a little heated…

"I told yah I'd do it… but why do you want to do this now?"

"Because you never know when we'll be attacked… and you're a lot stronger then I am…" Akane says, her voice becoming softer as she admits out loud something that she had denied in the past. "I don't want to be the one rescued all the time"

Ranma's not entirely buying that statement. "Who said you were bad at martial arts? You've improved a lot since our fight with those two sisters, you know, fire and ice… the ones that the old man tried to pin on your dad as his kids…"

"Yeah, I remember that. I almost thought I had another two sisters… but I guess you and I took care of business, though we fought a lot afterwards"

Ranma grins. "Yeah, that was kinda silly… you and I won together, not separately"

"It's taken a long time for me to actually admit that… I do have my pride…"

"Yeah… you certainly do…" Ranma says in a slight mumble.

Akane hears that and prepares to make a move. "Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah" Ranma says, aware of the fact that she's moving closer with each passing moment. 'Uh oh, she looks pissed'

Akane makes a playful swipe before making a fighting pose. "Let's spar"

"Now?"

"Yeah, it must be my pride that makes me want to practice with you, Ranma"

The pig-tailed martial artist smiles. "You don't say? If you wanna fight me, tomboy, then let's do it"

Ranma moves into a fighting stance and drops his backpack to the ground, Akane does the same and pushes it out of the way.

"Your move"

After hearing that, Akane grins. "Okay, let's spar!"

With speed that initially surprises Ranma, Akane moves forward and attempts to punch him, using a flurry of punches not unlike his own special move. He slowly moves back as he dodges her attacks, trying to gage her intentions and how eager she is at the moment.

"Not bad"

"Yeah, not bad for a tomboy"

"My turn…" Ranma says while turning to the offense, causing Akane to back away from the fury of his attacks. Akane isn't dismayed by this turn of events, however.

'He's attacking me for real, that's what I need. REAL practice under the worst conditions…'

Despite feeling a few blows, Akane does a good job of keeping on her feet and keeps her defenses up… until she feels her back against a tree.

'Uh oh… I'm pinned'

"Got yah now" Ranma says before going into to tag Akane. At the last moment, Akane sees Ranma moving forward in his attack and sidesteps him, causing him to miss and hit the tree behind her…

"OWWW"

"You missed me" Akane says while holding up her hand to block the flying shrapnel from the tree he just hit. Ranma's about to say something when an acorn falls on his head… and then another… before a rain of acorns fall from the oak tree, hitting Ranma on the head.

"Great, just great…" is the reply from the flustered Ranma as he brushes off the acorns that managed to stay on his clothing. "Good move there, Akane"

"Thanks. You know, what just happened just proved a theory of mine" Akane says while her grins grows ever wider.

"And what's that?"

"That you're nuts"

Ranma rolls his eyes. "Ha ha, Akane. That was so funny that I forgot to laugh"

Trying to control her laughter, the youngest Tendo takes a few deep breathes before turning to look at her fiancée. "I thought it as funny… but seriously, your moves are 'nuts' sometimes"

"I suppose…" Ranma concedes. "But they get the job done"

Despite the heat of the moment that drove these two to fight with each other, each is secretly glad it happened- fighting of one sort or another used to keep them apart but now is having the opposite effect on their relationship.

Despite the good mood that Akane's in as a result of his misplaced attack, Ranma wants a little friendly payback. He notices out of the corner of his eye other similar trees nearby, all laden with acorns. 'Maybe I can get her to get rained on, too'

Akane is surprised to hear Ranma suggest some more sparing a moment later. "Really?"

"Yeah, let's practice some more"

"Okay, but I won't be going easy on you this time…" Akane says in a half serious tone.

Ranma takes a deep breath for getting into a defensive stance. "I'll keep that in mind"

To make his strategy work, Ranma let's Akane take the offense first, wanting to mimic his last attack and situation almost exactly, except for the results. As she punches and kicks, Ranma cannot help but admire her tenacity and skill, which is much better then it was before. 'She's definitely making some good progress, I'm glad to see it'

After Akane slips in a few blows, Ranma puts his plan into action and puts some heavy pressure on the attack, causing his opponent to back up towards another oak tree. Akane notices what's happening and plans to do the same thing as before… hoping he'll want to be caught in another acorn shower.

The same situation soon presents itself, with Akane's back against an oak tree. She sees Ranma's strike and moves to sidestep… only to find his hand on the way. She closes her eyes as she realizes that he's got her… but feels nothing as his other hand moves to hit her.

'Huh? What happened? Did he miss me?'

Akane hears some small noises above her head and opens her eyes. Ranma is standing about a meter and a half in front of her and sporting a wide grin.

"Hey, what's so…"

The question Akane was about to ask is cutoff as the grumbling sound increases and a bad feeling overcomes the young woman. 'Oh no!'

It's Ranma's turn to grin as an avalanche of acorn falls on his fiancée. "You got me" is her slightly angry reply while brushing the offending acorns off of her body.

"Looks like this tree was worse then the one that got me"

"Seems like it…" Akane says while brushing off some more acorns. A peculiar feeling on her back causes her to reach back to find the cause. "Ranma, come here"

Curious about what she needs, Ranma approaches his fiancée. She turns around and then addresses him.

"It seems like some of the acorns fell down my shirt, can you get them out? I can't seem to reach them"

"Sure thing, I'll get 'em for yah" Ranma says before gently pulling up the bottom of her shirt. Akane blushes as his hands move up her bare back and her heart begins to race…

Ranma's hands soon come across the trouble making acorns and gently remove them, though something else is on his mind as he realizes where his hands are at. The pause of movement causes Akane to wonder what he's doing.

"Is there a problem?"

"Naw, no problem…" A quick movement of Ranma's hands is felt by Akane before he removes them… causing the young woman to blush even more"

"Ranma, why did you just unhook my bra?"

A wide smile forms on the pig-tailed martial artists face. "Cause you told me I was hopeless as a woman and needed practice… those acorns just happened to be right there…"

"I see… well, get some more practice and hook it back up! I swear…" the flustered Akane says while tapping her feet on the ground.

"Okay, I'll get yah fixed up then…" Ranma says before lifting the back of her shirt once again and reattaching the hooks of her bra. He smoothes the shirt back down and gently pats her back.

"All done"

Akane does an about face and looks at Ranma with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "I swear you're becoming more perverted everyday!"

"Oh come on, it's not like I saw anythin' and besides…" Ranma stops mid-sentence after getting a good look at Akane's chest, which happens to be expanding and contracting quite a bit due to her heavy breathing. He notices something that's out of place and once again decides to tease his fiancée…

"Looks like some of the padding fell out…"

Akane has no idea what he's talking about. "Huh?"

After looking at Ranma and noticing where he's pointing, Akane takes a look for herself. 'I must've missed some acorns, there's a few still on my chest. What's gotten into him today? He's being really naughty… I guess after that robe incident he's really excited about doing things with me- who'd have thought that he'd have this side to him?'

Akane clears her throat. "Ahem"

"Told yah"

After removing the acorns, Akane proceeds to chide her fiancée. "You should know better, Ranma… this is all me, I don't need to pad my bra!"

"Yeah, I know… but I couldn't resist. Those acorns were right in the middle of…"

A mallet strike ends Ranma's response mid-sentence. "Don't push it"

"Sorry" is the reply from the woozy martial artist, who realizes that she does have limits in this area… and that her mallet is as deadly as ever. Unlike previous attacks, however, Akane soon returns the mallet to "malletspace" and begins caressing his head where he had just made her strike.

"Ranma" she whispers softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you so hard"

Hearing her voice and the tone that she's using causes any anger Ranma has to melt away. "It's okay, I'm kinda used to it by now…"

"Still… I'm a little hot-blooded sometimes"

"I know, but that's what makes you so interesting, you're a feisty tomboy"

"Thanks. After yesterday's accident, you should've known better then to ask that question about my bra"

Ranma smiles."Heh, I guess you're right. That's all you"

"And don't forget it!" is the response from the red-faced Akane, who can't believe she just said that.

"I won't, I promise"

The two martial artists embrace and hold each other tightly, realizing just how close they were getting, intimate and perverted jokes are now common in their relationship and even looked forward to, if not entirely acknowledged at the moment by either party.

"Looks like we're definitely on our way to becoming really perverted martial artists after all" Ranma admits softly.

"Yeah… but it's not entirely a bad thing. You've been making things more… interesting lately. Keep it up- but don't push it too much, okay?"

Ranma is happy to oblige. "Deal"

After gently kissing Ranma on the cheek, Akane lets go of her fiancée. "We've still got a lot of hiking to do, we're only a quarter done"

"True. Let's get up to that waypoint over there and then take our lunch" Ranma says while point at a ridge in the distance that's on their intinerary.

"Sounds good, let's keep going then!"

The pair pick up their backpacks and hit the trail once again, happy about the interesting turn of events that diversion caused. Back at the hotel, the other Saotome couple is making their way out to one of the private hot springs.

"This is really nice, I can see why Akane and Ranma went here first… it's so beautiful!" Ukyo exclaims while looking at the pretty flowers lining the path and exquisite mountain scenery around her.

"I like it too, it's nice and quiet"

"That's true, too. Let's put our stuff down over here and check it out then" the brunette chef says while pointing at a small mirror and wooden shelving built in front of a nearby rock, just a short distance from the pool.

"Looks like the changing area to me, I like these robes that they gave us" Ryoga says while pulling at his belt.

"Me too. I'd love to have something like this at home"

Ukyo blushes as the robe her boyfriend is wearing hits the ground, revealing his yellow and black spotted swim trunks. 'He's really good looking… and he even has the same colored trunks as his bandana'

Ryoga is unaware of what Ukyo's doing and takes off his trademark bandanna as well, putting it and the robe into one of the holding shelves.

"Something wrong, Ukyo?"

"Oh no, nothing's wrong" is the slightly nervous reply back from Ukyo, who removes the white ribbon from her hair and places it on the shelf. She gently tugs at the cords of her robe and removes it, noticing that the sound made Ryoga suddenly twitch.

'I guess I'm not the only one thinking certain things…'

The Lost Boy turns his head and motions at the hot spring. "Ready to go in?"

"Ready as ever, sugar"

The pair walk up to the side of the spring and gently dip one foot into the water to see just how hot it really is.

"Nice and warm, but not too bad"

"Yeah, just right. I'm glad it's not cold water so we can be in together"

Ukyo steps into the spring and walks forward, the water level rising with each step. "Definitely"

Ryoga is right behind her, watching the water hit more and more of her long brown hair, causing it to float on the water. 'She's got such full bodied hair, and I know it's really soft. Ukyo's got her own enchantments, that's for sure'

After resting her back again the far end of the pool, Ukyo stretches her arms towards the sky and lets the water work its magic. "This feels so good"

Ryoga does the same thing and relaxes right next to her. "Yeah, nothing like a relaxing soak in a hot spring… especially with that special someone"

"I like what I'm hearing"

"I don't get to do this too often, it's always by accident that I found one of these while I was wondering around" the Lost Boy admits with a sigh.

"Same here, I don't get away from work as much as I should… but a free trip is a good excuse as any, it gave me a chance to pull out this swimsuit of mine and use it again" Ukyo says, commenting on the light green one piece swimsuit that she's currently wearing.

"I haven't seen you use that since we were on that floating island"

"You're right, I haven't used it since that little adventure. What do you think of it? I never did get to ask you if you liked it" Ukyo says, feeling a little bashful at the end of her sentence.

"Oh, it looks good. The color definitely suits you and umm… you look…"

Ukyo is almost hanging on his every word and wants him to continue. "Yeah?"

Knowing what he wants to say and being able to say it are two different things in Ryoga's book, though he knows that he needs more practice with conversations of this nature.

"Sexy… I umm, like how it shows off your umm… body"

A quick kiss on the cheek is the reward for Ryoga's honesty and compliment. "Thanks"

"Anytime"

"You're looking good there yourself…" the brunette shyly admits. "Let me try something out…"

Ryoga wonders what she means by that until he feels her hands on his shoulders.

"A massage huh?"

The chef nods her head and begins her massage. "Yeah… you're so tense, Ryoga. Don't worry about Akane, okay? Worry about me."

After a slight shrug, the Lost Boy lets his muscles relax and thinks about her words. "Sorry, I guess I don't do too well with that situation- but at least you've forgiven me"

"Speaking of that, I need to finish my paper- and it is about what I want to do in the future. What do you want, Ryoga? You're a part of my future so… I want to know"

"Well… hmm. That's a good question"

Ryoga lets the good feeling of the massage work through his body and focuses on positive thoughts in an effort to answer her question.

"I don't know… I always pictured myself having a family, but you understand why certain things I was thinking about before aren't going to happen. It's not a bad change, though"

Ukyo smiles. "Glad to hear it. I want to finish school and work on my restaurant and cooking skills so I can become the best okonomiyaki chef in all of Japan"

"I think you've already accomplished that" the sly Ryoga says, earning a soft "Aww" from Ukyo.

"Thanks, sugar. I know you love my cooking, it's the only thing you've really eaten since you arrived and you've never complained about it. Since you mention family, well I… I want kids, too."

"Ah…"

Ukyo is silent for a moment. She realizes that Ryoga has admitted to his past dreams being different now, since Akane's rejection of him. 'I'm the same as him- I'd been fantasizing about Ranma myself until Ryoga came back into my life full force. It's only fair if I tell him that…'

The brunette chef lowers her voice and bares her soul to her boyfriend. "Ahem. Ryoga… about plans changing… I had different dreams up until the end of that fight you know. Ran-chan was my everything and he's still important to me… just not in that way"

Ryoga knew about her prior desires to be with Ranma but is still glad to hear her say those words- the open and honest talks they've been having lately have really been a help to their relationship, opening the door for more intimate things.

"Thanks, Ukyo, for telling me that. I'd be more then happy to talk about this some more and help you with that paper"

"Really? Thanks!"

"But first, let's enjoy this hot spring some more"

Ukyo likes his thinking. "Of course. How about you return the favor and rub my shoulders a little, too"

"Sure" is his quick reply back. Ryoga turns around and finds Ukyo's back right in front of him, the strings of her bathing suit are off of her shoulders and she's resting herself against a rock.

"Ukyo…"

"What? You're giving me a shoulder massage… I don't want the straps in the way" is her reply to that, though inside she knows that this is another chance to be a little flirty with him.

"I guess…"

"Just don't be looking over my shoulders trying to peek or something" Ukyo says, trying to be innocent and yet naughty at the same time.

Caught in the act, Ryoga takes a half step back and then places his hands on her bare shoulders. "Oh, of course… I'd never do that…"

Inwardly, the chef grins, knowing that he did back away and must've been trying to get a look at her. She sighs softly as the massage begins and hears him speak a little while later…

"You know, I'd like to get out sometime and go traveling with you- since you're good with directions and I'm not. I need a little break from your place… no offense"

"None taken. I'm sorry if I've neglected you… we need to go out and do more 'couple' things together. I promise to take you out…"

"Okay… but then I want you to do something else with me. You told me about the Amazons… and how Shampoo thinks they might attack again"

"Yeah, I remember that"

"I want you to train with me… so in case something does happen…"

Ukyo can sense the concern in his voice and knows that he has a valid point. "Okay…"

The couple continues their hot spring experience while in another part of Japan a pair of sisters have stolen food from a group of people that seem none too happy about it. What concerns them is the vigor in which they're being pursued- both can sense that they've angered some real powerful people.

"Where to, sis?" the younger asks while looking over her back, having just heard a noise in the distance.

"Maybe father can help us out… I know he's not really our father but…" Pausing to peer down the alleyway, Natsumi breathes a sigh of relief when she sees a cat jump off of a garbage can.

"False alarm… but maybe you're right. Those other two might be able to help us, too"

"Oh yeah…"

"Let's get out of here then…"

The younger sister Kurumi has no arguments with that. "Right!"

End of chapter 17.

To be continued in Chapter 18: Invasion

Hope you liked this chapter as much as I did writing it! Comments are appreciated!


	18. Chapter 18: Invasion part A

Chapter 18: Invasion

Thanks to my friend Missy for prereading this story!

Part A

Saturday evening comes too quickly for Ranma and Akane who barely finish their hike, not realizing that the path was over fifteen kilometers long. Diversions to take pictures and to spar didn't help time pass any slower, the acorn incident also killed a lot of time as well. When they get back to their room the pair plop down on the bed and let out a long sigh.

"Next time let's look at the scale and see how long the trails are before we hike them- we just happened to pick the longest, most difficult one they had"

"That's true, Akane, but it turned out to be the most fun, right?"

"Hmm… I had a pretty good time. Some surprises along the way but nothing we couldn't handle. We got some nice scenery pictures and some good ones of us, too"

"Yeah- but all that hiking has made me really hungry"

Akane playfully elbows her fiancée. "Trust me, I know. I've been hearing your stomach grumble for the last half hour"

"Mine ain't the only one makin' noise"

"Well, that settles that- what did you want to eat for dinner?"

Ranma pauses to think about that. "Hmm… what about that room service thing they got here? Didn't Ukyo and Ryoga say it was good food?"

"Good idea! They did say the food was good so let's look at see what they have to eat" Akane says while reaching for the menu on the nearby counter. She opens it up and the two look over the menu.

Ranma is the first one to make a suggestion. "Why don't we order one of them extra large pizzas? I haven't had any of that in a long time- you and I could finish off one together"

"Not a bad idea, Ranma. What kind of toppings do you want on it then?"

Ranma peers down at the ingredient list and points at a few different words. Akane makes note of his choices and likes what he chose.

"I'll order that up for us then"

"Thanks- the sooner it gets here, the better!" Ranma says after hearing his stomach grumble again.

Feeling hungry herself, Akane gets right down to business. She grabs the phone and order their dinner but is slightly dismayed by the time quoted for delivery of their dinner.

Ranma notices her expression after she hangs up the phone and wonders if something is wrong.

"Don't tell me that they were out of pizza or somethin'"

"No, that's not it at all. They're really busy right now and we called during their main dinner rush. They said about 45 minutes or so until delivery"

Ranma sighs aloud. "Well, at least they got it and it's coming"

"Yeah- but hey, it gives us a chance to talk. I've got something I want to ask you"

That comment piques Ranma's curiosity "Oh? What's that?"

Akane's voice suddenly grows softer. "I was wondering if… if you wanted to, you know…"

Ranma's eyebrows go up. "Go on"

"I don't know how to say this- I've been thinking about this all day, especially after all the good times we had yesterday and today's hike. You really did surprise me, Ranma- in a good way"

"Yeah, that was fun. Everything has been fun- it's cool to be able to talk to you, learn about you without getting yelled at, malletted, or being told it wasn't any of my business"

"It's been good lately… really good and that's why I was wondering if you wanted to take another step forward with me"

Ranma wonders what she means by that and is even more confused by the blush on her face, which gets even redder as he stares at her.

"Akane… you want to do… THAT?"

The youngest Tendo looks up and blinks several times before looking her fiancée in the eye. "Huh? Ranma I wasn't asking if you wanted to have sex!"

"Sounded like it to me" Ranma says, feeling a little disappointed inside, despite the nervousness that he's feeling at the moment.

"NO! Baka, I was going to ask if you wanted to move in with me! We spend so much time together anyway and I thought it'd be only natural to move onto that step- have you thought about it at all?"

"Well, to be honest, it had crossed my mind. I know my mom would be all for it, but what about your dad?"

Liking his response and apparent interest in the idea, Akane quickly puts that fear aside. "He might say something at first, but I think he knows that I'm taking this seriously- and I know you are"

Ranma nods his head. "Of course. This is my biggest challenge ever and I want to succeed. I guess I thought you wanted to do something perverted with me"

"Oh, so you criticize me for supposedly thinking that when you're the one unhooking bras and staring at my breasts and accusing me of…"

"Akane…" Ranma says, stopping her from continuing her rant. "What can I say, you look good when you're all hot and sweaty…"

The grin on Ranma's face only lasts for a moment before it's hit by a pillow.

"Maybe…"

"Seems like you want a fight" Ranma says, his fingers inching towards the nearest pillow. Akane notices this and smiles.

"It's what we do best after all" is her reply before taking another swipe at Ranma who blocks with a pillow of his own.

The pillow fight that follows is not one of anger or spite but of fun, each fiancée doing their best to get at the other. After five minutes, both are nearly exhausted from the fight.

Akane stares at Ranma, himself now all "hot and sweaty", his muscles very prominent under his shirt. The fighting has caused both her and her fiancée to be feeling their most primal feelings and urges come to the fore as they begin to truly realize their innermost feelings for each other.

'He looks so good right now… the things I want to do to him… this baka is one good looking guy…'

Akane isn't the only one thinking such thoughts. Ranma's eyes move back and forth from Akane's face to her chest, which despite her wearing a simple shirt with only a slight V-neck dip, is quite entrancing to the martial artist.

'She's such a feisty one but damn, she looks so good right now, especially after that little workout we just did. I wanna… do things with her… and I wonder what she's thinking now. Definitely showing me how sexy tomboys can be…'

Akane breaks the silence and moves closer, her pillow lowered. "Ranma…"

"Yeah?" is his response while slowly lowering his guard. The hormonal response overrides any thoughts of this being some kind of trick to tag him with her pillow.

With her lips soon a few inches away from his Ranma drops all thoughts of being attacked and thinks about his tomboy and what she could be feeling. Only moments later, he gets an answer as her lips passionately press against his…

'She's turned on by all this fighting? I had no idea there was a connection between the two'

Ranma's arms encircle her and Akane realizes that he's probably figured it out. 'Something about fighting, especially with him, makes me feel this way. I need him and yet we still fight, even for fun. Talk about confusing'

"Mmm… we need to fight more often…" Ranma says as Akane moves to kiss his neck, really getting into this make out session.

"I never thought I'd say yes to that idea… but these little sparring sessions are fun, aren't they?" is her soft response before tenderly kissing his cheek. She cannot help but notice that his hold around her is making her chest press against his, which is something neither one has a problem with at this point in time.

"How about now? Do you want to move in?"

Ranma decides to tease her a little in hopes of getting her to respond in an even more passionate way. "I'm definitely thinking about it"

"You don't say" is Akane's sly response. Wanting to drive home her point as well as satisfy some of her own personal urges, the young woman gently tugs on Ranma's shirt, signaling her desire to remove it. Ranma is momentarily shocked but allows her to remove it and toss it aside, revealing his well defined figure to Akane who returns to kissing him while one of her hands runs across his chest.

"Tomboy… you want me… don't you?" Ranma dares to ask, hoping that this won't get him malletted.

"Of course, baka… you and I can talk about these things without getting too… embarrassed. I didn't mallet you just now after all- and you look like you need to cool off some"

"Yeah, that mallet would kinda kill the mood… and thanks"

A soft yet semi-sultry tone is what Akane uses to speak her next words. "We don't need that mallet here… it's just you and me here. No parents, no old perverts… no crazy fiancées. Just you and I"

"And the biggest challenge of our lives- being together and liking it"

"We're doing good so far- you're making really good progress, Ranma. You do care about something besides the art and fighting"

Ranma grins. "Love is a fight, so I'm still fighting even with this… we just fought a few minutes ago, right?"

"True" Akane says while resting her head on his chest. "Nabiki was right, we fight like… you know, newlyweds"

"Heh"

After hearing that, Ranma once again lets the thought of marrying Akane cross his mind again and admits that it has great appeal, despite his former denials of liking the feisty tomboy in "that way"

Feeling a sudden urge to be bold and explore his own feelings of passion, Ranma decides what's fair is fair and that since she's also hot and sweaty right now, she might need to cool off, too.

Akane is quite comfortable resting against Ranma and is about to start dozing off when she feels his hands squeeze her behind, eliciting a soft moan from her lips. 'Ranma wants to show how much he likes me, it's never a bad thing when he does that- I like it'

His next action catches her off guard, however- her stomach is already visible before her mind can process what he's doing. 'My shirt!'

This time, the desire to mallet Ranma is itself beaten down in a fraction of a second and Akane raises her arms, allowing Ranma to remove her T-shirt.

"All better, you were all hot and sweaty, too, and I think you needed to cool off"

A silent nod confirms that as Akane looks into Ranma's lust filled eyes which are drawn to her well developed chest and white lace bra.

"Sexy"

"You too"

"I'll never say anything bad about your looks ever again… and if I do, you can mallet me"

Akane makes a mental note of that, hoping that she never has to use that clause. "Deal"

Unsure of what to do next, the two stare at each other until something spurs both to action…

"Delivery for Saotome" a voice says after knocking at the door to the room.

"Looks like dinner's here… you stay here, I'll get it." Ranma says, volunteering so Akane doesn't need to get dressed again and to also be helpful.

"Okay"

While Ranma's at the door getting the pizza, Akane grabs some soft drinks from the small refrigerator and two plates from one of the cabinets and places everything on the small table inside their deluxe room.

"Dinner is served" Ranma says happily as he places the large pizza box in the center of table, nearly using up all the usable space on its surface.

"Let's eat!" the youngest Tendo daughter says eagerly, her eyes filled with desire of a different sort, especially after the lid is opened and the wonderful smells of the pizza fill the air.

Few words are exchange as the pair eat their pizza, the focus for the time being is on dinner on not on each other. After half the pizza disappears, the two slow down a little and talk…

"This pizza is awesome! I ain't had any this good before!"

"It's good, isn't it?" Akane hears a soft pitter-patter in the distance which begins to get more and more intense. "Sounds like we got in just before the rain"

"Yeah, it looked pretty nasty out there when we were on that last stretch… guess there'll be no hot springs tonight"

"No floating lessons for me then" Akane says with a wink.

Ranma smiles. "You got that down, I think. As long as you don't panic or get really nervous, you'll be fine"

"I hope so…" Akane says in return before drinking some of her soda and sighing aloud. "I want to be able to do things for myself- you can't be around 24/7 you know"

Ranma is quick to rebuff that idea. "You know how to defend yourself, you don't need me around all the time"

"I might be good but I want to be better…"

After taking another piece of pizza, Ranma looks at his fiancée and nods. "I think I can help with that…"

"Great!" is the enthusiastic response from Akane, who resumes eating herself. Both work on finishing off the pizza, as they had previously talked about- though at a slower pace then before. Occasional stares at the other are exchanged- both are wondering what's going to happen next… and both wonder why something that was so hard to do before almost feels natural.

"Hey, I got a question for yah Akane, you know, about girls and what yah wear"

"Go ahead, I'm listening" is the curious reply from Akane, who finishes off her last piece of pizza and wipes her mouth.

"Well, I thought stuff like what you're wearing was for… you know… when you wanted to tease someone or you were gonna do it- almost everytime I wore somethin' like that was when we were baiting the old man or somethin' along those lines"

"Women don't need a special occasion to wear sexy stuff, Ranma- I happen to like this because the color is nice and it's comfortable under my clothes. Sometimes we wear stuff like this to feel sexy and confident, even if men don't get to see it"

"Oh okay"

"You had no idea I was wearing this until you decided to be Mister Bold a few minutes ago" Akane says in a "matter of fact" tone.

"Guess not, women are so confusing sometimes" Ranma says with a sigh.

"I could say the same thing about men- I don't get them all the time, either"

"Try having to deal with being both" Ranma says with a smirk.

"You're doing better then when I first met you, though I think you take too many liberties with your girl side. I think you've gotten quite good at being sneaky and being a flirt, you really cross the line sometimes!" Akane says with a leer.

"At least you're TRYING to be cute these days…" is Ranma's response back to that.

Akane doesn't like the sound of that. "HEY!"

"What? I ain't insulting your looks…"

"No, but you're trying to pick a fight with me"

Ranma shakes his head. "Come on Akane, I'm just kidding. You've proven to me how cute tomboys can be, okay?"

"I see…" Akane says while wanting to hear more. "Go on, tell me more"

Ranma knows what to say next. "Well, you've shown me how sexy you can be, too. That swimsuit, the robe…"

"Me shirtless…" Akane adds.

"Well, I can't complain about that- I'm surprised you didn't put your shirt back on by now" Ranma says while taking another glance at his fiancée's chest.

"I don't want to put it back on…" Akane gets out of her chair and stands behind Ranma and begins massaging his shoulders. She whispers in his ear- "Tell me that you'll move in with me"

"Mmm… well, if you want me that bad, maybe I can do it. I just hope to see yah like this more often"

"Pervert… if you're good then maybe I will. I'm trying to take another step or two with you, Ranma. I'm ready… and I think you are, too"

"I think so… I got to see a side of you that no one else sees" Ranma says, pointing out one of his observations from the last few months.

"Me too- who knew that you could be a tender, gentle guy? You have a soft side, you know" Akane whispers happily. "I like that, I let you get close and you've been treating me right. I was afraid for the longest time of getting close to anyone…"

"Me too, I ain't ever felt like this before" Ranma says before standing up. He walks over to the bed and motions Akane to come over and sit next to him. There's a deafening silence as the young woman does that, a blush covering her face as she leans against Ranma. 'What's next? What does he/she want to do?' are the thoughts in their minds, being faced for the first time with a situation like this. Both Ranma and Akane look around the room and then at each other before spotting something else on the bed.

"How about that?" Ranma says before picking up the remote.

"Okay- let's relax then, it's been a long day"

"Yeah, it has"

The pair prop up some pillows and then get under the covers in order to be more comfortable before watching television. Akane rests her head on Ranma's shoulder and takes a deep breath.

"About time you learned how to make decisions… sometimes you're too indecisive. Especially when it came to your little fiancée difficulties over the last year or so…"

Ranma looks at Akane and sighs. "This ain't the easiest thing, you know- there was four of you at the height of the chaos that is my life"

"True- I guess I my case I wanted someone as crazy as me" the giggling Akane says, trying to keep the mood good between them in this intimate setting.

Ranma pats Akane on the head with one hand. "Crazy tomboy"

"Crazy baka"

"What's going to be more crazy is all the teasing from your sister" Ranma says, bringing up a valid point in their future living arrangement.

"I'm sure there'll be some teasing… but Nabiki has her own boyfriend issues now and she has toned down a little since she found out about the pictures. Nabiki will always be Nabiki, though"

"That's what I'm afraid of"

"You aren't scared of my sister, are you?" Akane asks, half serious about her question.

"Not in a physical way exactly, but she is the master of blackmail. You didn't know what I had to go through just to get some yen for your last Christmas present" Ranma says, bringing up an example.

"Oh… the picture frame? That was a nice present and we did get a few seconds alone out of that. We almost kissed"

Ranma smiles. "Almost. I had to wait a long time after that to actually find out what kissing you felt like"

"Was I worth the wait?"

"Oh yeah" is the hearty response in return, causing the youngest Tendo daughter to blush once again.

Akane begins explaining some of her feelings about that time period to Ranma, in order to be more open and let him hear her feelings on things. "I was waiting, too… waiting for that… and for the chance to be more open with you, to be confident- to show you that I could be cute and sexy too. I didn't want to look desperate, though… or look like I was trying to seduce you"

"Sorry to keep yah waitin', then"

"It's okay, it's been fun in the meantime- keeping all the girls at school guessing about us, I was even able to tease Nabiki back"

Ranma is confused. "And just how did you manage all that?"

"Simple, I've been wearing stuff like this everyday since the fight. It's part of my secret confidence I guess… and now you know"

"I had no idea- but hey, I'm not complaining. Seeing the non-violent side of you is really good"

"Let's keep it that way, okay?" Akane says with a soft nod.

Liking the sound of that, Ranma agrees. "Sure- you did promise me that if I was good I could see more of you and you were true to your word. I promise to do my best to figure this whole relationship thing out"

"Okay"

Ranma has one more thing to add. "And to keep things fun, too"

"I'm sure we can manage that, too"

Akane sees no time to waste and surprises Ranma with a kiss, the two sink down in the bed and have a brief make out session before snuggling under the covers. Both are glad they took another step forward without jumping too far, too fast.

The weather hasn't had all positive effects to those in the area, however. Under a grove of trees about a kilometer from the hotel is a drenched Ukyo and Ryoga, now in piglet form.

"Lovely weather, isn't it, sugar?"

P-chan agrees with that assessment of the situation. "BWEE!"

"It doesn't look like there's going to be any break in this storm, I think I'm going to make a run for it. I'll carry you back"

Despite not wanting to be a burden to Ukyo, Ryoga realizes that he's not as fast as she is and would only slow her down if he went separately. The black piglet nods his head and Ukyo picks him up and cradles him in her arms. "Here we go!"

End Part A

To be continued in Part B.


	19. Chapter 19: Invasion part B

Start Part B

Despite the now mud-clogged trail, the brunette chef makes decent progress heading down hill in the rainstorm, carrying her bag and Ryoga's on her back. She pauses under another tree to catch her breath and finds P-chan snuggled against her chest.

"You almost look like you're enjoying this..." is her observation as she speaks to her boyfriend.

"BWEEE!" is the reply from the black piglet who turns his head to look up at his girlfriend.

"That reminds me of something else- but we'll talk more about when we get back. I don't think I can get much feedback from you in this condition..." Ukyo says, with a giggle at the end.

P-chan blinks a few times and wonders what she's talking about. 'Guess I'll find out soon enough'

After resting for a few minutes, the rain begins to slow, giving Ukyo a reason to end her break early. She once again clutches P-chan against her chest and takes off for the hotel, wanting to take advantage of the break in the weather.

About ten minutes later, the totally drenched duo arrive back at the hotel. Taking a moment, Ukyo squeezes some of the water out of her shirt and pants before entering the lobby. She quickly heads back for the room and immediately grabs some towels from the bathroom.

"Let me dry you off, Ryoga"

Not wanting to budge, P-chan shakes his head. His reply once again reminds the brunette about her talk that she wants to have with her boyfriend.

"I think you're more perverted as a pig then as a guy..." the chef teases. "Time to dry off"

After giving P-chan "the look" the brunette gently removes the piglet and places him on the bed. He watches as she leaves the main room and heads into the bathroom. The sound of running water is heard a moment later along with some happy whistling...

'Is she taking a bath in there? I wonder what's going?' the little piglet thinks as he waits for Ukyo to return. About a minute later, she does- wearing a towel wrapped around her body. A red blush forms on P-chan's face...

Ukyo looks down at the bed and smiles. "Time for you to warm up- and then we talk, okay?"

"BWEE!"

"Good, glad you agree... I'll put your clothes in the bathroom now so you can change"

Grabbing Ryoga's backpack, Ukyo heads over to the bathroom and places it on the floor. She takes a look at the water level in the bath before turning off the faucet and returning to the main room...

"BWEEE!" P-chan exclaims before jumping into her arms. Ukyo cannot help but notice how much he wants to be held by her... she wonders if it's animal desire or Ryoga's human side that wants to be closer to her and just doesn't know how, at least in human form.

Gently, the chef drops P-chan into the bathtub. A moment later, Ryoga's normal body returns and he looks at his girlfriend.

"Thanks for drawing the bath"

"No problem sugar- soak for a few minutes and then come out. We'll talk for a little bit and order some dinner"

"Sounds good" is Ryoga's reply- though he's still curious what it is that they're going to be talking about. Ukyo leaves the room and changes into some dry clothes... and patiently awaits Ryoga's return.

In the bathroom, the Lost Boy relaxes, letting the water warm his body and soul. Glancing around the room, he notices something that wasn't in here when they left this afternoon.

'Is that her clothes hanging up there?'

He mentally checks off seeing her socks, pants, and shirt on the first bar, attached to it with clips. The second metal bar, which had been a holder for a towel, has Ukyo's bra and panties hanging from it. Seeing these items for the first time causes quite a reaction from Ryoga...

'She wears stuff like that under her clothes? I thought she'd have been the type to wear plainer items- I guess I was wrong...'

Try as he can, the Lost Boy cannot tear his eyes away from the garments. It takes the sound of Ukyo's voice to motivate him to action...

"Are you almost done in there?"

Ryoga yells back "Be right there!" before hopping out of the bathtub. He quickly dries off and gets dressed, putting on a T-shirt and shorts, going for a more casual look like Ukyo did the previous evening.

Upon returning to the main room he finds his girlfriend sitting in bed, her back resting against the headboard. She motions him to sit next to her... the Lost Boy cannot help but notice the worried expression on her face as he sits down.

"So, umm... what's this all about?"

"Well, your pervertedness earlier reminded me of something..."

Ryoga lowers his head. "I'm sorry about that... I was comfortable and warm and I didn't want to leave"

"I figured it was that- women have a natural desire to clutch things and hold them close- and that reminded me of something I saw Akane do before. She held you... like I held you... and you liked it..."

"Ukyo I umm... well..."

"Ryoga" Ukyo says softly. "You probably got to see her changing and maybe even naked... things that she'd kill any person for seeing, except for Ranma-honey these days"

After taking a deep breath, Ryoga decides to come clean. "You're right... I've seen her changing, undressing... it was my infatuation with her that stopped me from turning away. I'm sorry..."

"I'm a little mad that you would do something like that, especially when you claimed to want her. If I was in her place, I would've felt used, violated. I can understand why she wanted to kill you before- and I wonder..."

Wanting to hear more, despite the fact that it could be good or bad, Ryoga urges her to continue by placing his arm around her. She says her next line in a whisper while sporting a red blush on her face.

"I wonder if you'll look at me the same way, with the same desire. I'm a girl, too..."

"You certainly are," Ryoga says, interrupting her. "You're a lot softer ugh I mean you re very attractive, you know... never umm, doubt that"

That comment instantly makes Ukyo feel better about herself. "Thanks, I really appreciate it. I can tell that you're being honest and sincere when it comes to your comments about me"

"Of course I am. Same goes for you"

"I'm glad- I was beginning to doubt whether I'd have the courage to bring this topic up again. I wanted to talk about this once last time and then drop it"

Ryoga breathes a sigh of relief.

"Let's stop living in the past, okay? If I ever bring this up again, unless there's a really good reason to, remind me about tonight, okay?"

"Sure, Ukyo- I want to forget about the past, I've done some things that were wrong and I wasn't true to myself"

Hearing Ryoga admit that out loud makes Ukyo feel happy inside. 'I want to be true to myself, too. True to my personality, true to me- though I want to incorporate some of the feminine and girly things I cast away so long ago'

Feeling spontaneous, the brunette chef turns and plants a kiss on Ryoga's lips. Much to her delight, he returns the kiss and wraps his arms around her, gently rubbing her back as they continue to express their affections...

"I thought we were going to order dinner" Ryoga says between kisses.

"Dinner can wait" is the quick reply back from Ukyo who begins to get more passionate with her kissing and her body movements- Ryoga can feel her wrap her own arms around him and deliberate press her chest against his.

"Mmm..." is the common utterance from both lovers, now lost in the thoughts of pleasure with the need for food forgotten, at least for the moment. Remembering that Ukyo was wearing shorts again, the Lost Boy lets his hands slide down her body and onto her smooth, soft legs as the making out continues. This new action only serves to strength Ukyo's need to kiss, hold, and love her boyfriend.

Only a few moments have passed when Ukyo says "You really like holding me..." and causes Ryoga to stop.

"I don't know what it is... like holding you- but for some reason, you holding me has more appeal. Same goes for when you were holding me as a pig earlier"

"Hmm... that's interesting. Tell me about your mother- did she ever hold you?"

Ryoga's tone becomes very sober. "My parents... get lost just as much as I do. They're almost never home... I don't have many memories of them to be honest"

"Oh... I had no idea" Ukyo says, hoping that she didn't strike a nerve with her boyfriend.

"How about your parents?"

"Well, since you ask..." Ukyo's tone also becomes serious. "My mother's been gone a long time and my father really hasn't talked to me since I lost that fight. He just can't accept the fact that I lost and spent all that time training for revenge on Ranma- 10 years, for nothing"

"That long? Wow..."

Ukyo has more to add. "Being adopted by mom into the Saotome family was probably the last straw- I needed to find a new me and rediscover myself at the same time. I know that sounds confusing... but there's too much baggage associated with my old last name"

Ryoga tries to cheer his girlfriend up with a little joke. "So that's why you want my last name?"

"RYOGA!" the embarrassed chef exclaims a moment later. "Stop that!"

"What? You want me to be more honest with my feelings, so..."

Ukyo fires back. "Fine- since we're being honest, I can tell you that you have a 'need for holding' problem"

"Only one person can help me with that" Ryoga says sincerely.

"I guess I have the recipe for the cure... and speaking of food, let's order something for dinner. I'm starving!"

The Lost Boy nods his head. "I can tell- your stomach is quite loud"

"So is yours"

Ukyo looks over at the menu sitting on the nearby table and sees the large pizza on the cover.

"I know we just had pizza last night but..."

Ryoga has no objections. "Why not? It was good, and I liked those extras they had in that appetizer sampler"

"I'll call them up and order what we had last night then"

Ukyo reaches for the phone and quickly orders up dinner for two- she's glad to hear that it'll only be thirty minutes of waiting...

"How long?" is Ryoga's first question after his girlfriend hangs up the phone.

"Thirty minutes- let's talk while we wait" the brunette says while resting her back against her pillow.

"Sure"

"I think I've been neglecting you lately and I want to apologize- I know you must get bored when I'm at school"

A low nod by Ryoga acknowledges that. "Sometimes... I think I need to set up some place for me to train, I don't want to get soft"

"Yeah, I like your muscles... I mean..."

A red blush covers the chef's face a moment later. She pauses and takes a deep breath before continuing. 'Maybe now would be a good time to comfort Ryoga in my own special way and do something more feminine and nurturing'

"Ryoga, move closer"

"Okay" is the quick reply from the Lost Boy, who scoots over on the bed and positions himself next to Ukyo. He's surprised to feel her hands on his face a moment later, guiding his head to rest on top of her chest.

"U-ukyo... what are you..." is the nervous reply from Ryoga who has quite a number of thoughts running through his head at the moment.

"You like to be held and comforted so that's what I'm doing. I know I'm not up to par like some of the others when it comes to doing feminine things, since I shunned that part of me for so long"

Ryoga feels the gentle touch of his girlfriend's fingers running through his hair as his body relaxes and becomes more comfortable with the situation.

"You're umm... very soft- this is kinda comfortable"

A momentary blush forms on Ukyo's face and then she sticks out her tongue.

"I had no idea you were such a pervert, Ryoga"

"You're bringing it out more" is his response with a grin.

"So I make you think perverted things?" the curious brunette asks.

"Uh huh"

Ryoga is surprised to hear a "Good" response back to that comment. "What have you done to my Ukyo?" is his joking reply back.

"Hey! I'm trying to act more like... you know, serious couples act when they talk to each other. It's okay for us to, you know, say certain things to each other... at least, that's what I imagined when I pictured myself as a married woman before this whole fight thing with the other girls"

"But something's changed- and so has the fantasy, right?"

"Of course- there's a certain bandanna-ed guy in there now"

"I've got a certain chef in mind"

Wanting this open discussion to continue while waiting for dinner, Ukyo presses the subject some more. "Tell me more- what do you see us doing in the future? I want to know, Ryoga"

"Well, umm... okay. I see us working together, training together... going to different places together- since you don't get lost like I do"

Ukyo giggles. "That's true, maybe we can actually plan out a trip and make it there"

"That'd be nice, I run into too many surprises when I go, well, anywhere" the Lost Boy admits.

"I'll bet- but..."

Ukyo moves her body a little and tries to get more comfortable- the plan to comfort Ryoga has run into a snag. Seeing her discomfort, he decides to act.

"Umm, Ukyo- maybe we can change positions? You look a little uneasy"

"Oh, it's nothing..."

"No, really- let me hold you for a while"

Ryoga slowly raises his head, reluctant to leave the softness of her bosom. He grabs his own pillow and props himself against the back of the bed before motioning his girlfriend to "snuggle" up against him.

"Thanks- as much as I liked having you snuggled against me, you're a little bit heavy" the grinning chef says while making herself comfortable against his chest. She feels his fingers running through her hair and sighs aloud, truly enjoying this intimate moment.

From his position, Ryoga gets a good look at his girlfriend as he continues to silently caress her soft, brown hair.

'She's gorgeous... and very compassionate. Ukyo has really opened up to me lately and I want to tell her more about me, too...'

Despite the sexual attraction he's feeling at the moment, other feelings enter Ryoga's mind and take first place. The brunette chef is surprised to feel what feels like water hitting her hair.

"Ryoga?"

When no response is forthcoming... the concerned chef moves her head and is hit once again with water. She brings her hand to her cheek and wipes it off.

'This looks like a tear... it has a salty smell. Is he crying?'

Adjusting her position once again, Ukyo gets a better look at her silent boyfriend, who has his eyes closed...

"Oh Ryoga..."

"Ukyo, I..."

Ukyo puts a finger on his lips. "Shh... don't say anything. I'm here for you- there's no need to cry..."

The Lost Boy tries to compose himself before replying back. "I... almost never had anyone around as a kid... no one was with me- or held me"

Ukyo continues showing her compassionate side in an effort to help out. "I'm here now... and I'll try to make you feel better. I can't change the past but I can help with the present"

"Okay... thanks"

"Anything for you, Ryoga" Ukyo says before tenderly placing a kiss on his cheek. "We'll get through this- together"

A small smile forms on Ryoga's face as he gazes into the loving eyes of his girlfriend. He takes a deep breath and rests his body against the pillows once again as the two hold each other and enjoy the quiet intimacy of the moment.

Dinner arrives a little while later and the pair enjoy the meal together, stuffing themselves once again. They turn on the TV and fall asleep, hand in hand, a little while later.

Sunday morning brings the two sisters to Nerima, ducking down alleyways and hiding in the shadows due to the nagging feeling that they haven't quite gotten rid of their pursuers just yet.

"Are you sure this is okay? I don't want to lead them right to Akane and Ranma?" the younger sister asks.

"We just need to find one of their friends and get out of here- maybe we can come back in a few weeks when we're sure about being alone" the elder sister replies before taking out the letter in question. "Wait a second, she looks familiar"

"Yeah... I think she was one Akane's opponents- we did get a letter just after that fight and she did mention three others"

Kodachi, who's doing some morning cleaning in front of the Kuno estate, has no idea she's being talked about just a few meters away. Despite her new clarity of mind, the martial artist in her kicks in as the two sisters advance closer...

"Who's there?" the Black Rose asks before turning around.

After a moments' hesistation, the two sisters step out of the shadows and quickly introduce themselves.

"I'm Natsume"

"And I'm Kurumi"

Kodachi thinks for a moment. 'The names seem vaguely familiar for some reason- hmm'

Seeing the quizzical look on Kodachi's face causes Kurumi to speak up immediately. "We're Akane's sisters, well, kind of..."

"It's a long story" Natsume adds a moment later. "We need a favor"

Before she can ask "What's that?" several figures appear in the distance, causing the two sisters to quickly disappear into the shadows of the entranceway. The Black Rose resumes her sweeping as if nothing is going on... several long moments later, the figures disappear out of sight and the sisters slowly emerge from the shadows.

Kurumi takes out a small letter and hands it to Kodachi. "That was close- we'd better get out of here"

Natsume nods her head. "Give that to Akane right away and thanks in advance!"

In the blink of an eye, the two sisters disappear and start heading north, away from Nerima. Kodachi is still in shock about what just happened but decides that there's no reason not to trust the two. She quickly tucks the letter out of sight in her bra and brings the broom back inside the gate...

"I thought I heard some commotion out here" Tatewaki says while approaching his sister.

"Yes, you could say that. I have a new mission- I need to bring a letter to Akane Tendo"

That gets Tatewaki's attention right away. "Akane? Perhaps I will come with you then and visit her sister"

The Black Rose shrugs her shoulders. "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that brother dear. I will explain what happened along the way"

After quickly informing Sasuke of their plans, the Kuno siblings make their way over to the Tendo house. At the inner entrance Kasumi is sweeping when the pair come into view.

"Good morning"

"Good morning. I apologize for this early morning visit but I have something important to deliver to Akane Tendo- it is from Kurumi and Natsume" Kodachi says before taking out the letter in question.

After hearing those two names, Kasumi becomes a little concerned. "It's no problem- the only thing is, my sister is away with Ranma in northern Japan. They'll be back this afternoon..."

"Oh..."

"Maybe you two should come inside and talk to my father..." the elder Tendo sister says while motioning towards the door.

"Thank you" Kodachi says with a bow.

"Would you be able to get your sister as well?" Kuno asks, wondering if Nabiki is around this morning.

"Of course, I'll call everyone down to the table then and we can discuss this issue"

The three head inside the house and the Kuno's take a seat at the table while Kasumi gets everyone else that happens to be home. Kodachi takes the letter and opens it up in front of her. Tatewaki begins reading the letter over his sister's shoulder.

"Tis a big deal- I could tell by the nervousness in Kasumi's voice a moment ago"

"From what I am reading, it appears that couldn't be any truer..."

A moment later, Happosai walks into the room and sits down at the table- fully engrossed in eating his meal. It takes several seconds before he realizes that there are guests at the table.

"Oh, it's the Kuno's"

Both siblings bow their heads in respect and say "Good morning"

"What brings you here this morning?"

The Black Rose says nothing but slides the letter across the table.

"Unfortunately, it seems to be trouble that brings me here this morning"

"I see..." the old man says before taking the letter and reading it to himself. "Looks like those two are in quite a pickle, if I do say so myself. It looks like we'll be next..."

The rest of the houses' inhabitants enter a moment later and have a seat at the table. Nabiki is very surprised to see her boyfriend at this early hour and makes a mental note to talk with him later. In the meantime she decides to sit next to him and find out exactly what's going on.

"Kasumi says that you have something very important for my daughter..."

"Tis more then that" Tatewaki says before pointing at the letter. "It may concern us all"

Soun takes the letter and reads it aloud- not a word is spoken as the impassioned pleas of the two sisters are read aloud, along with their thoughts on who their pursuers are...

Kasumi is the first to speak up. "Oh my... it sounds like more Amazons or at the least, people from China"

Nabiki begins shaking her head. "Great, things finally begin calming down and now this. Dealing with these people is way worse then the normal insanity that happens around here"

Genma turns to look at friend. "What do you think, Tendo?"

"Sounds like trouble might be headed our way, that's what I think. Our prior dealings with these people haven't been very friendly"

"You'll have to fill me in, dear- who are these Amazons?" the curious Nodoka asks.

Happosai offers some words before Genma can respond about that subject. "Some of the best fighters around... and they have no hesitations about killing..."

"Oh no..." the dismayed Saotome matriarch says before instinctively touching the sword that's at her side. "I think a visit to Elder Cologne is in order- I think Soun should come with me and Genma and Elder Happosai stay here with the girls and the Kuno's"

Soun looks over at his friend. "Sounds like a plan. Saotome, would do you mind staying?"

"No problem" is the quick response. "If Akane and Ranma get back before you do, I'll have them wait here"

Happosai puts his "two cents" in. "I don't mind staying here to watch these lovely ladies..."

"I'm sure you don't..." Nabiki says with a soft sigh. "I'm heading back to my room- this is too early for a Sunday morning. Kuno-baby, I want to talk with you for a few minutes..."

"Please excuse us" is Tatewaki's reply before following Nabiki upstairs.

Nodoka and Soun get on their feet as well. "We'll be back as soon as we can"

Kasumi feels a little uneasy and that can be seen in her next response. "Be careful"

Sensing her fear, Nodoka gives her a nod and some words of encouragement. "We will dear, don't worry- you have some protectors here so I wouldn't give it a second thought"

"We've got you covered, Kasumi" Genma says firmly.

"Definitely- no Amazons are breaking in here today!" is Happosai's follow up comment.

Soun and Nodoka leave and Kasumi decides to resume her Sunday morning cleaning. Seeing the elder Tendo sister heading for the door, Kodachi stands up and follows her outside.

"May I help you in some way? I want to keep occupied while I wait for their return"

"Sure, I don't mind the help at all"

Back at the dining room table, Happosai takes out his pipe and takes a few puffs.

"It seems like the Amazons didn't take the news of Shampoo losing that fight too well... and all her rivals and Ranma are still alive..."

"That does seem to be quite the sin in their books" Genma says, agreeing with the previous statement by his master.

"The fact that they're chasing the two girls all over Japan is proof of just how serious they are- we need to be on the watch"

"I couldn't agree more..."

Upstairs in Nabiki's room the brunette has some of her own thoughts on this new revelation to share with her boyfriend.

"Thank you for inviting me up to your room- I believe that I have been in here before- I seem to have some memories of it"

"That's right, you've been in here a few times" The need to yawn interrupts Nabiki, who promptly yawns and then sits down on the bed. "Let's talk about this whole Amazon thing. I don't know how much you remember about them or Shampoo... but this could be quite a serious thing. Even you could be in danger- I know your sister will be one of their targets"

After some slight hesitation, Tatewaki sits down on the bed next to Nabiki. "I agree, given her involvement in the fight and defeat of Shampoo. I promise to defend you, of course"

Nabiki suddenly becomes very serious. "I know you will... but you can't be around 24/7. Same goes for Ranma or Akane... and knowing these people, they'll attack when the target is the most vulnerable"

"Tis a good point, I'm afraid"

"I was wondering..."

Kuno wonders what she's going to ask about and invites her to continue. "Yes?"

The brunette takes a deep breath and says something that she hadn't been expecting herself to say. "Well, I know Ranma will be teaching Akane and I don't want any training from the perverted old man... could you... show me some martial arts? Even if it's your kendo style of fighting"

Looking into his girlfriend's eyes, which are filled with earnesty, Kuno makes a very easy decision. Nabiki knows the answer is yes the instant a smile forms on his face.

"Of course, I would be more then happy to. Perhaps I should come back at lunch, we could get something to eat and play tennis as planned and then return to my abode for some training"

"Thanks, Kuno-baby... I owe you one..." Nabiki says sweetly, being very genuine with her affection.

Kuno shakes his head. "'Tis not a problem, you do not owe me a thing"

"Great- but instead of leaving, maybe you should stay here until my father and Auntie Nodoka return. I would feel a little safer..."

"Since you put it that way, I would be happy to..."

A soft pair of lips cuts off Kuno's response as Nabiki expresses her gratitude for his words and actions. Slowly, Kuno wraps his arms around her and allows himself to be pressed down onto the bed by Nabiki's body. He begins to gently rub her back as the kisses become more passionate and her body begins rubbing against his.

Kuno manages a few words between kisses. "You are very affectionate..."

"I had no idea I had this in me..." Nabiki admits aloud.

"A welcome departure from your reputation and names at school..." the grinning Kuno says before getting playfully punched.

"Hey!"

"Your secret is safe with me, fear not"

Nabiki winks. "Good, I have to be the Ice Queen to stay in business after all"

"Indeed. I will keep you safe, my fair Nabiki"

Feeling a little bold, Kuno gently picks Nabiki back up and holds her in an upright position. Nabiki gently relaxes her head against his chest and tries not to think about the near term future- which has just taken quite a turn for the worse. The pair hold each other and talk to pass time as Soun and Nodoka are away at the Cat Cafe...

Akane and Ranma are already on their way back, along with Ryoga and Ukyo around the time Shampoo returns from her morning errands with Mousse. Finding her great-grandmother at the table with Soun and Nodoka makes her instantly curious about what's going on...

End Part B

Start Part C

"Hi-yah, we have visitors!"

"Yes, we do. You and Mousse should have a seat..." Cologne says before motioning at the two empty chairs at the table.

The Amazon couple places their groceries over on the nearby counter and then sits down at the table.

"It seems like our friends back home have sent out a search party- for us and anyone else that stood in the way of Amazon tradition"

After saying that, Cologne passes the letter over to Shampoo and Mousse who read it to themselves...

"I can't believe they're going after those two... Shampoo and I have never even met these two women" Mousse says while shaking his head.

"I think they're trying to capture them for information, or as hostages- at least until they get the main players..." Soun says, proposing his theory about what's going on.

"That could be- I have no idea what they're planning. Until we can catch one, that is..." COlogne says with a slight cackle.

"There was at least three of them- but they weren't sure" Nodoka says, refering to the number of trackers.

The Amazon elder points her staff at the letter. "I'm sure this is only the beginning, especially if they don't find who they're looking for... and they aren't eliminated"

"I think we all need to on guard from now on- Ranma and Akane will be back soon and we'll have to brief them on what's going" Soun says with a nod.

"Don't forget about Ukyo and Ryoga, they're in danger, too" Nodoka adds, remembering that her daughter is also returning sometime today.

After deliberating a few thoughts silently, Cologne comes to a decision.

"I think it's time to show you some more of our secret arts, since they will most likely be used again you..."

"You're serious... wow. There are things you wouldn't even show me..." Mousse comments aloud.

"And I'm sorry for that- but times have changed and so has your place in my family. I also think it's time to add new members to our Amazon group- Soun, you are a valued member of our group..."

"Thank you"

"I'm also refering to Ranma's mother as well. As a female, you can join our tribe, just like Ranma and the others have"

That comment takes Nodoka completely off guard. "Me? Part of an Amazon tribe?"

"Be good to have another member, another sister for Shampoo" the purple haired girl exclaims after thinking about the possibility.

"It's up to you..." Cologne says before sitting back in her chair.

Silently, the Saotome matriarch contemplates the offer and takes into account the current situation. "Why not?"

Soun's eyebrows go up after hearing the "yes" answer but he says nothing.

"Excellent- you'll be added to our group at once!" Cologne says happily. "Any one who has an offspring as talented as Ranma certainly has to have talent themselves"

"Thank you for the honor" Nodoka says with a bow.

"Shampoo, why don't you make preperations to have all of our members get the formal dress from our friend in town"

"No problem, Shampoo happy to help!" the young Amazon says with a smile.

"There's special clothing involved?"

"Oh yes, we have special tribal wear. Mousse and Shampoo will stop by a little later and take you and the others to one of our comrades in town and they'll fit you all with the proper attire"

Nodoka finds that thought interesting and smiles. "I look forward to it!"

Soun has another question that he promptly brings up. "When should we return to talk about this further? I think Akane and Ranma need to be here, along with Ukyo and Ryoga"

After thinking about that for a moment, the Amazon elder makes her suggestion. "How about tomorrow night- that will give everyone a chance to talk about this situation together?"

"That sounds like a good idea- let's do that. How about tomorrow night at nine? I know you have a business to run as well"

"That'll be fine, we'll close around 8:30 and clean up- it shouldn't be a problem"

"We'll see you tomorrow then" the Saotome matriarch says before standing up and addressing Shampoo and Mousse. "And I'll see you two later"

"Yes, see Shampoo and airen later"

"Thanks for your time, elder" Soun says polietly before standing up. "Hopefully we can figure out some kind of game plan to deal with this problem"

"Yes, I'm sure we'll figure out something"

After heading that response from Elder Cologne, Nodoka and Soun take their leave and head back home, stopping on the way to pick up some supplies for dinner. In the meantime, Ranma and Akane have arrived home after their long train journey and are surprised to find Genma practicing martial arts moves just inside the entrance gate...

"Looks like you're working hard there, pops..."

Genma is not miffed by his sons attitude in that comment. "Of course- I see you two made it back in one piece. How was your little getaway?"

"It was fine, I taught Akane here how ta swim and we had a good time, great food..."

Akane finishes the thought. "And great hot springs! We went hiking, too..."

"I'm glad to hear that you two had fun- I'm sure you're mother will be pleased to hear that as well"

Ranma agrees with that thought 100% "Yeah, I'm sure she will- is she around?"

"Your mother and Soun went out for a while- when they come back, we've got something that we need to discuss with you two"

Genma's tone of voice worries Ranma and AKane, who notice how serious he's become in the last few moments.

"Oh, okay. AKane and I need to do something so we'll talk to yah when mom comes back then" Ranma says, not wanting to spring the surprise just yet about his moving in with Akane.

"Sure thing boy, I'll let you know when she's here..."

Genma resumes his training moves, silently worried about this new thorn in everyone's side that sure to strike in the new future. 'I just hope the boy and Akane are up to this... these Amazons are quite dangerous when angered'

Silently, Akane and Ranma head inside, and after removing their shoes, head upstairs. They don't hear anything, even when while walking past Nabiki's room and assume the middle sister is out, perhaps on a date with Kuno. After entering the room where Ranma and his parents sleep the teen starts the moving process by gathering up his futon.

"I know I won't need this but I don't want to leave it here, either. Unless you kick me out of bed or something..."

Akane sticks out her tongue. "I won't kick you out- unless you're being bad!"

The young woman takes the pillow and the two return to her room, which is soon to be "Their" room. Akane shows Ranma where to store the extra futon and then they return for another trip to start moving clothes. It isn't very long before all of Ranma's stuff is removed from his former room...

"That didn't take long- you don't have very much" AKane comments, surprised at how quickly they transfered his possessions.

"When you're on the road like I was, you learn to pack and live light" is his response back to that.

"At least I had some extra drawer space for your clothes- that worked out good"

"Yeah, definitely. Thanks for the, you know, idea here. I think it'll be fun"

Akane smiles. "I'm sure it will be. We get to see each other all the time- it'll be like a trial run for being married"

"Yeah, I was thinkin' the same thing, I already like sleeping wit' yah..."

Though Akane knows Ranma wasn't internding to sound perverted just now she still blushes. "Me too" is her reply in a near whisper.

"We need to do somethin' to celebrate this, then- a new chapter in our lives"

"Oh, I'm sure you're mom will be so happy that she'll be throwing some kind of party for us when she comes back, I'd almost bet on it"

"Good point, AKane- you're getting to know my mom pretty well"

Akane nods her head. "She'll be my mother-in-law eventually, so getting to know her is a good thing"

"Yeah"

The couple sits down on their bed and takes a breather. regaining their energy after the short but energy intensive move of goods from one room to the other. Neither one is exactly sure of what to do next, especially since there's no interruptions and no call downstairs indicating that Nodoka and Soun have returned.

Akane tries to start a conversation. "So..."

"Yeah..." is Ranma's reply to that, not knowing what to say either. He takes a look at his fiancee and nervously smiles.

"What did you want to do now?"

"We could talk... or maybe hold each other for a little bit"

"I like that second idea, come here, tomboy"

Akane allows Ranma to pull her close. She whispers one word as she feels the warmth of his embrace. "Baka- I knew you could do it. You really do want me"

"Definitely"

The door suddenly opens and Nodoka enters, finding the pair hugging each other on their shared bed. "i'm so happy to hear that!"

"MOM!" Ranma cries out after turning his head. A blush forms on his face and his fiancee's as they look at the Saotome matriarch.

Nodoka can barely contain her enthusiasm at this news. "Your father told me the good news, I'm SO happy to hear that you two are taking more steps forward! I guess my little trip for you two to the hot springs worked out after all!"

"Umm, it sure did" is the nervous reply from Akane, who doesn't want to reveal anything more about what happened there then is neccesary.

"Great! I'll have grandkids in no time!"

"Umm... yeah..." Ranma conceeds in an effort to change the course of the conversation.

Nodoka's tone of voice and mood instantly change to a more somber one. "Now that we have all of that settle, I want you to come downstairs. I just called Ukyo and Ryoga over as well- there's something you four need to hear"

"Yeah, pops mentioned somethin' like that- what is it?" the curious Ranma asks a moment later.

"I think I'll let the letter we recieved from Kodachi explain that... meet me downstairs whenever you're ready"

After saying that, Ranma's mother turns and leaves the couple alone. More confused then ever, Ranma and Akane break their hug and exchange glances.

"This keeps getting weirder by the second- even more then normal for around here"

"That's true, Akane- we'd better get down there to see what's going on and see what this letter thing is all about"

The curious pair head downstairs and are surprised to find both Kuno siblings sitting at the table with Nabiki... all three are sipping on some tea...

"It's about time you two got down here" Nabiki says playfully.

"Yeah... so... my mom mentioned some letter that Kodachi brought over" Ranma says before sitting down. Akane follows suit and waits for an answer.

"I ran into some friends of yours, Akane... and they gave me this" the Black Rose says before handing the letter to Akane. Ranma reads along as well, both pairs of eyebrows rise as the contents are read.

Tatewaki has a few words for the couple as the finish reading the letter. "You can see that there is a situation developing that affects all of us, even myself and the lovely Nabiki here"

"Kuno!" the slightly embarrassed brunette calls out.

Seeing a chance to tease her sister, Akane takes it. "Someone's blushing"

Nabiki is unfazed, however. "I'm sure you two were doing more then blushing this weekend- I just heard that you two moved in together"

Ranma acknowledges that. "Yeah, we did"

"I see my Amazon sister is moving things right along" Kodachi says, feeling happy for the couple.

Akane has another point to make. "Thing is, will we have time to celebrate? It sounds like Natsume and Kurumi have their hands full and are running around the country while being pursued"

"Good point, Akane" a voice calls out from behind the doorsthat seperate the dining room from the outside.

"I agree with Ukyo" another voice says before the doors open.

Nodoka, Ukyo, and Ryoga look at the letter on the table. "That's quite the piece of paper, isn't it? Ukyo was nice enough to inform me about some of your adventures but this seems to be way up the scale- don't you agree, son?"

"Yeah, you ain't kidding mom"

"That's why I've invited Shampoo and Mousse over- they just arrived and are waiting in the dojo for the rest of the local Amazon tribe"

"Oh... I see..."

"Sounds like it's girl time then..." Akane says with a grin.

Ranma gets what she means and sighs aloud. "Guess it's time to change- we'll meet you over there in a few minutes then"

Akane and Ranma stand up and Ukyo makes a quick comment before they leave.

"Sure- we'll meet you over there whenever you're ready. Ryoga's coming with, too- I don't want him to get lost"

Ranma and Akane look at each other and grin before leaving theroom. A smile forms on everyone's face but Ryoga and Nodoka- the young man's reputation is well known, even to the now sane Kuno's.

Nabiki can't resist saying something. "Hope you two can make it over there without getting lost"

Ryoga isn't thrilled by that comment. "HEY!"

UKyo shoots a glance over at the middle Tendo sister. "Let's go sugar- I think Nabiki has to go count some money or something..."

"I might..." is all Nabiki says in return as the pair leaves, following Nodoka to the dojo. Nabiki turns her attention back to her boyfriend and his sister.

"Before you head over to dojo, I have a question for you Kodachi"

"Yes?" the raven haired girl asks, wondering what's on Nabiki's mind.

"I've already asked your brother this question and he's agreed to help. It's been ages since I've done any real martial arts and in light of the current situation..."

Kodachi is very surprised by what she just heard. "You wish to train with me?"

"I'm sure there's things you could show me that he can't- and it wouldn't hurt to train with another girl- no offense, Kuno-baby"

"None taken- you wish to learn from both male and female perspectives" Kuno says, admiring the fact that his girlfriend is taking this issue very seriously.

Seeing a chance to get to know her brother's girlfriend and to dispell any bad things she's heard, Kodachi says "Yes" after thinking about it.

"Great, we'll set up some kind of training schedule later then- I'm hungry and you owe me a date" the brunette says before eyeing her boyfriend.

"Indeed I do" Tatewaki says with a nod.

"I will see you two later then- I'll be heading back home after this shopping trip. I think I will wait for Ranma and Akane to return before heading out there- there was a glint in Shampoo's eye"

"Hmm... she could be up to something- you're right to wait here" Nabiki says knowingly before getting up. "See you later"

Kodachi waves to the departing couple and takes another sip of her tea. 'This has certainly been an interesting day, to say the least...'

Over in the dojo, Shampoo is demonstrating the Amazon glomp on Mousse while they wait for the others to arrive. Ukyo and Ryoga watch the glomp and blush

There s two ways out, Ryoga Shampoo here says that Ranma showed you one already

Ryoga nods his head. Okay, here s number two it s my favorite Mousse said with a grin on his face. Ready, Shampoo?

Shampoo always ready anytime

Everyone s face but Shampoo s goes crimson red after that remark. Okay watch closely Ryoga Mousse says before taking a deep breath.

Ryoga watches as Mousse gently pushes Shampoo off of his body a small moan escapes Shampoo s lips as he does so

I see Is about all Ryoga can manage to say.

Now sister try glomp on Ryoga is lots of fun Shampoo said with a wink.

Mousse takes advantage of this distraction to launch a special counter attack on Shampoo. Amazon male special counter attack! Rain of a thousand kisses! He starts to kiss her neck and Shampoo begins to feel very hot under the collar.

Woah Is about Ryoga can say as he observes how quickly Shampoo is being kissed. I wonder if I could learn how to do that move?

Ukyo looks at Ryoga and notices that he s spaced out I d bet he s thinking about us A blush crept over her face again this was too much to be seeing at once.

Mmm airen Shampoo says as Mousse s arms wrap around her waist.

Umm I don t mean to interrupt but Ukyo said with some hesitation.

Oh sorry Mousse said, embarrassed. I forgot you two were here

It took Shampoo a little longer to gather her wits as her face was very flushed and judging by the look in her eye Ukyo knew that she wished that they were elsewhere. "Aiya... um... sister try move now?"

Sure Ukyo takes a deep breath and then looks at Ryoga, who s nervous from a mix of fear and excitement. Here goes nothing

Wo Ai Ni! Ukyo says, launching her attack.

The move works perfectly... had Ryoga been a statue- since he did a pretty good imitation of one after being touched like that by Ukyo.

Oh come on you can t be like that Mousse said, observing the situation.

Sister do move just right airen should enjoy feeling of chest against him, no freeze

Ukyo lets go and reluctantly and calls his name several times... slapping him doesn t seem to work either- Ryoga is a very convincing statue. Finally, Ukyo reaches for her spatula and hits him with it

In the Tendo Dining room Ranma, Akane, and Kodachi are treated to the sounds of a loud CLANG!

"What was that?" the curious Black Rose asks since she's not sure where she's heard that noise before.

"Ukyo hittin' someone with her spatula" is Ranma's quick response.

"How do you know that?"

Ranma sighed and tapped his head. "Experience"

Back in the dojo, Ryoga painfully returns to reality. OWW!

Shampoo shakes her head and mumbles something about him needing more work before having an idea to help the couple out.

The purple haired Amazon walks over to Ukyo and loosens the top of her shirt, unbuttoning it to mid breast.

"Is no good- Shampoo will have to fix"

Ukyo is too shocked to move and Ryoga is not sure what is going on. 'Is Shampoo gonna undress Ukyo right here and why can't I take my eyes off her... especially 'that' part of her

Shampoo reached back and held out her hand. Somehow Mousse understood and handed her a knife. A quick cut later and Ukyo finds that her bindings are now not so binding, causing the chef to go red in the face- and causing Ryoga to pinch his nose in an effort to prevent a nosebleed.

"More feminine the better for move... be sexy for airen..."

Shampoo notices Ryoga looking 'there' and tries to help. By giving Ukyo a little push- or a push up in a certain area makes them almost pop out of their hiding place, causing Ryoga to pass out and fall on his back while Shampoo and Mousse laugh

Seeing Ryoga passed out on the floor, the brunette chef forgots about her state of dress and tried to help him up off the floor. From her position kneeling on his left side, she put her right arm underneath him, supporting his head. She tried to sit him up when his eyes open.

"Ryoga... Ryoga are you ok?"

"Nya... I... ohhh..."

"Ryoga?"

Slowly Ryoga opened his eyes and found himself staring deeply into the loveliest pair of eyes he's ever seen. "Beautiful..."he mumbled as he looked into her eyes.

So intent was he in looking that he did not realize that with her bindings cut, added to Shampoo's adjustments made them useless. The Lost boy also doesn't realize that he's somehow moved his right hand up and was gently touching Ukyo's cheek.

With his hand on her cheek, Ukyo can feel a heat not against her skin but coming from her skin. When his hand begins to move away from her cheek she follows it as though it was guiding her- Ukyo can t help but smile shyly as her face was being drawn closer to his. Once she's close enough to feel his breath against her skin she can't help but lick her suddenly dry lips.

Ukyo Ryoga said, moving his lips towards hers and lying back on the floor.

Ryoga Ukyo said right before their lips met. Instinctively he puts his arms around her, which unconsciously reverses their positions, so that their positions are changed with Ryoga now leaning over Ukyo.

Off to the side a bubbly and excited Amazon warrior is glaring at her airen who currently has his hand covering her mouth. Smiling weakly he motions with his head over towards the door. She narrows her eyes, but then nods her head since she could've easily twisted his thumb backwards and had him release her, but she wasn't about to tell anyone that she liked it when he got a little forceful. When they get outside, she begins to talk to her husband.

Sister can do move but her airen very afraid of contact even when she was sexy

Hmm you re right. But what can we do to help them out? Mousse said as he scratched his chin.

Oh! Shampoo know what to do! Combine shopping trip with new idea! Shampoo says with a gleam in her eye. Mousse notices this and chuckles knowing what kinda idea it must be. Shampoo takes Mousse s hand and runs into the house, looking for one person in particular

Back in the dojo, Ukyo and Ryoga continue to express their feelings for each other. I ve never kissed him for this long this feels so good Ukyo thinks as the kissing continues. Ryoga stops and then decides to try something he just saw Mousse do

I hope I do this right I wanna make Ukyo feel good Ryoga starts to tenderly kiss Ukyo s neck, causing the girl to moan softly

Oh my I see that you two are already overcoming your fears maybe I ll have some grandchildren soon after all a voice says a moment later.

Ukyo and Ryoga look at each other with ever-growing eyes. Panting, Ukyo tilts her head so that she can look can essentially look towards the door. Unfortunately from her position on the floor, this arches her back and shoves her loosely bound heaving chest closer to Ryoga. When she does this, Ryoga is given quite a view of her curves.

It looks like you re becoming more comfortable with him, Ukyo Nodoka said as she noticed the girls state of (un)dress and the way that Ryoga was staring at her chest. And he s certainly getting a good look at you

Ukyo turns her head back to look at Ryoga and finds him staring at her chest, a stream of drool is falling from the corner of his lip. Ukyo looks down and quickly notices how much she s exposed in the blink of an eye, she buttons up her shirt.

Ryoga! Ukyo said as she pushed the lost boy, he falls back on the floor.

I hate to do this, Ryoga, but I need to borrow Ukyo for a little while... don't worry, you can stare at her later..." Nodoka said as she walked over to Ukyo.

Ryoga can only nod in response to that comment. Nodoka places a hand on Ukyo s shoulder

Your other sisters and I are going shopping for formal Amazon wear and we need you to come with she says with a smile.

Ukyo silently thinks about that for a few moments before replying. S-sure I guess that s okay

The brunette chef looks down at Ryoga with mixed emotions- part of her wants to yell at him about what just happened and the other part realizes that it s not all his fault. If I leave, will he wander off and get lost? I don t wanna lose him

Ryoga?

Yes, Ukyo? Was the immediate reply by Ryoga.

Could you stay here and wait for me to come back? Maybe you could umm talk with Mousse

Okay Ryoga said with a slight hint of disappointment in his voice.

I m gonna send them in so wait here Ukyo said as she left the room.

After getting Mousse, Ukyo heads back outside, where Nodoka had been waiting since Ukyo left the dojo. Akane, Kodachi and Shampoo are waiting outside as well, eager to get their new dresses. Ranma-chan isn't very thrilled about this impromptu shopping trip but does her best not show it.

As the four women walk past the gates to the Tendo house and onto the main street, Ukyo s curiosity gets the best of her and she asks a question.

Soo... just what kind of dresses are these?

Well, Shampoo suggested that since we are all now part of the tribe we get the proper clothing Nodoka said as a smile spread across her face.

Yes, sisters need proper Amazon wear Shampoo chimed in. "Shampoo very happy for new sister Nodoka"

Ranma is still in disbelief over this. "I still can't believe it, mom..."

"Oh Ranma, there's nothing to be worried about. Think of it as us becoming even closer friends- and you get to be better friends with your sisters, too"

So Ukyo that s nice, you know looking after Ryoga like that Akane says in order to change the subject and avoid a fight between Ranma and his mother, though inside she's still alittle uncomfortable about talking about Ryoga.

A wide smile forms on Nodoka's face. Yes, my daughter is such a woman caring for him despite his natural ability to get lost

Umm yeah Ukyo said, embarrassed about what was just said. Where s this store at? She said, trying to change the subject.

"I would like to know as well... I feel a little excited about getting a new dress" Kodachi says softly.

Akane is the first to complement the formerly insane Black Rose. "It's good to see you breaking out of your shell, Kodachi"

"Thank you- I definitely feel like a new woman in the last few weeks"

Once the group reaches the next major street, Shampoo points to the left. Just around corner and three blocks down

Let s get moving then! Ukyo said as she quickened her pace towards said shop. The other four women pick up the pace and wonder why Ukyo s so excited about shopping I bet she can t wait to get back to her man Nodoka thinks as the shop grows ever nearer.

After a few minutes of near jogging, the five women arrive at a small dress shop. They walk inside and when Shampoo walks in the door, she s greeted by an older Chinese woman.

You bring new faces in today

Yes Shampoo points at Akane and then Ukyo. These four my Amazon sisters and this my older sister She said, pointing at Nodoka, who is flattered by Shampoo s quick adoption of the term Older Sister in reference to her. 'Makes me feel young again to hear that term'

What can I do for you today? The dressmaker asked as she thought about what Shampoo had just said.

Need new Amazon formal dresses for all of Shampoo's sisters

"Okay. I bet some of you have a husband that would love to see you in one of these dresses

All of the women except Shampoo blush at that thought, though only her and Nodoka are actually married at the moment.

"Anyways, follow me please"

The dressmaker calls out a few Chinese phrases and a few of her assistants come into the room. Help these five out, please

Right away Was the immediate reply from the three female assistants.

After the five women are led into the changing rooms, Shampoo talks with the dressmaker to pass time and gather some information.

Over in the dressing rooms, the assistants take some quick measurements and then disappear returning with five fancy red dresses, each one richly embroidered and made out of the softest, yet durable fabric possible.

The dresses are handed to the women and they go to try them on. Since there s only two changing rooms, Ukyo, Akane, and Kodachi go into one and Nodoka and Ranma-chan go into the other.

Akane is impressed by the speed of the operation here. "That was quick... they must have a base size and then alter it to fit each woman"

"Yeah, that was certainly fast..." Ranma-chan calls out from the next stall over.

"I think Ranma's right- let's see how they fit!" Nodoka says excitedly before beginning to change. Ranma-chan takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, wanting to take a few moments to think before putting on this new dress. 'I'm really starting to get used to this female side of me- maybe this is a good thing. At least I've only changed when I've wanted to recently, that's a good thing'

In the other dressing room, the three former rivals begin undressing. Akane notices that Ukyo is very nervous and is undressing very slowly

Is something wrong? You re so quiet

Umm it s nothing Ukyo said as she fumbled with the buttons on her shirt. After unbuttoning most of her shirt, Ukyo notices Akane and Kodachi starting at her

What happened to your bindings?

"They look like they were sliced with a blade" Kodachi adds.

The brunette chef blushes in embarrassment. Shampoo was trying to make me more sexy in front of Ryoga in the dojo earlier she unbuttoned some of my shirt and cut the bindings

Oh Akane said, making note of what Ukyo said. I d better be careful around Shampoo I can be sexy enough around Ranma without that kinda help. Ranma's already learned how to take off my shirt without being too nervous and he's even had his fair share of trying to take off my bra. Once we opened that door of honesty everything's just been getting more and more in the open between us, especially when it comes to our desires

Kodachi is also concerned about her Amazon sisters' methods. "I think I will refrain from asking Shampoo about advice in that area for now- I need to rediscover myself, first"

"Definitely" Ukyo says with a hearty nod.

The three girls finish undressing and then put on their new dresses and take glances at themselves in the mirror.

Is that really me? Ukyo thinks as she stares in the dressing room mirror. I look so different

You look great, Ukyo you should dress up more often and emphasize your figure Akane said, trying to cheer Ukyo up.

Is this really me? Ukyo asked Akane.

Of course look at yourself. You have a great figure and wearing something like this, you can t help but show it off

I don't want to change too much... besides Ryoga likes me the way I am... Ukyo blushes at that thought... and then all her thoughts turn back to Ryoga. Does he really like me that way... or was I making a fool of myself by glomping him? When we kissed... it was unlike anything I ve ever felt...

Ukyo recalls the warm feeling she had when Ranma awoke her with a kiss... but this was beyond that. Ukyo does several poses in front of the mirror, carefully looking at the way the dress hugged her hips and fit around her waist. The way it was form-fitting, especially around her chest, makes her blush.

Thinking about Ryoga? Akane said as she notices the blush on Ukyo s face.

Well kinda Ukyo said, a little embarrassed. I m getting tired of her teasing me like this I gotta get her back

Ukyo spots Akane s bra hanging from a hook in the dressing room and suddenly has an idea.

Say that s a really nice bra you got there

Oh really? It s not my best but I think it s pretty nice Akane said with a slight blush on her face.

Does he have a favorite color to see you in? You told me that you two have moved along a little further when we talked on the train

Akane blushes and nervously mumbles a few words Ukyo thinks that she said Black

"It is a good color for these things" Kodachi adds, noting her own personal preference in that area.

"He only did that once, how do I know what colors he likes?" Akane says with a huff.

Catching part of what their saying, Ranma-chan bangs her fist against the wall in order to stop that conversation before Nodoka catches any of it. "Keep it down over there!"

"Ranma, what are you doing?"

The redhead shakes her head. "Nothin'... but can you help me with that back zipper?"

"Sure" Nodoka finishes zipping up the dress for Ranma-chan and both turn to look into the mirror.

"Akane did say you were hopeless as a girl... though I think you can prove her wrong"

"I'm sure I can... you know that I take on any challenge"

"And that's good. Being with that young woman will be the greatest challenge you'll ever have in your life. Something else just came to mind"

"Yeah?" the curious Ranma-chan asks aloud.

"Look at us in the mirror- you look like the daughter I've always wanted"

"MOM!" the frustrated Ranma-chan calls out, prompting Akane to return the favor by banging on the wall. Ranma-chan rolls her eyes after hearing "Keep it down" from his fiancee.

Are you three almost done in there? Nodoka shouts from the other dressing room.

Almost Ukyo shouts back. Akane takes another look into the mirror and begins thinking. This dress is a lot fancier then the one Shampoo gave me both are pretty nice, though' Akane does a few poses and wonders what Ranma will think of the dress when he sees it.

"Thinking about Ranma?" Ukyo says, teasing the spaced out Akane.

"Of course" is the defiant answer. "You know, he used to call me flat-chested"

Kodachi doesn't recall ever hearing Ranma say that. "Why would he do that?"

"Because he was being a jerk- I wasn't that big when we first met"

"And that's why you're looking at your chest- I saw you take a deep breath a second ago to make them look bigger" Ukyo says with a wink.

"Just making sure this isn't too tight..." Akane says, half-answering the question.

"You're just a late bloomer, Akane. Look at you now"

"Yeah... look at me now..." the youngest Tendo sister says softly.

The chef turns her attention elsewhere and gives Akane a break. "And let's not forget about our recently sane sister here. If she wears this around she'll have tons of boyfriends"

A red blush forms on the Black Rose's face and she's speechless. A knock on the door proves to be Kodachi's savior. Akane opens the door and is surprised at what she sees...

Wow Akane said, not really being able to say anything else. This is the first time she s seen Nodoka in anything but a kimono... Ukyo has a similar thought and nods her head to agree with Akane s comment. The three assistants begin complimenting Nodoka on the outfit, causing her to blush...

I ve... I ve never worn anything like this before She walks over to a nearby mirror and looks at herself. This is certainly form-fitting no wonder Mousse can t keep his hands off of Shampoo

Are you pleased with the dress? The head assistant asks Nodoka. A quick nod and a smile brings a warm feeling to the three assistants hearts- another job well done.

I ll pay for all five dresses Nodoka offers before the girls can even think about that. A gift for all my new Amazon sisters"

T-thank you Ukyo says, very happy about being able to keep the dress and with Nodoka s generosity. So this is what having a mother feels like it s been so long for me I m used to being alone, at least until Ryoga came along

The other girls say "thank you" as well. They look at Nodoka appreciatively for her offer.

"Shampoo see big sister pay for clothes- Amazons help each other out!"

"Yes, that should be true of any family" the Saotome matriarch says with a nod. "Let's get changed- I think we have some more shopping to do!"

The five Women change back into their regular clothes and return to the front of the store holding a large box each. Nodoka pays for the dresses and the five girls bid the shopkeeper and her assistants a farewell.

Well, what s next? Ukyo asked, wondering about what else this trip would have in store for her.

Akane tugs on Ukyo s left arm. This way

Shampoo and Nodoka watch as Ukyo and Akane get farther and farther away. Ranma-chan and Kodachi wonder what's going on as well... Ranma-chan is the first to speak up.

Do you know where Akane s going? She didn't say anythin' to me

Shampoo know is store Shampoo get many many things from especially since marriage

Nodoka notices the gleam in Shampoo s eyes and can hazard a guess about what kind of store Akane is taking Ukyo to. Ah

Sister need help being sexy for airen, Akane agree to help Shampoo

I see Nodoka pauses and then thinks for a few moments

Akane visit store where she got bra to make Ranma her airen

Nodoka's eyebrows go up. "Is there something you're not telling me, Ranma?"

"Umm, no..." is the nervous reply back.

If that's the case then let s catch up with them and help out Nodoka says, full of some new energy.

Sister more comfortable with Akane Shampoo agree to stay out

Oh Nodoka says, disappointed. Well, if we re going to wait for them, do you know a place around here where we can get a snack?

Follow Shampoo Shampoo said as she started walking again.

"When we get there, Ranma can tell us all about his weekend with Akane..."

"Oh, great..." Ranma-chan mumbles to herself. 'How'd Akane get out of this one?'

As the remaining women head for a nearby sidewalk caf , Ukyo and Akane arrive at a familiar lingerie store

We re going in here? Ukyo asks with some hesitation.

Oh, come on Akane said as she pushed Ukyo towards the door. I made a promise with Shampoo to help you out. There s nothing wrong with being feminine heaven knows I wasn t the most feminine out there either until recently. At least I'm trying and I know Ukyo is, too

A woman approaches the pair as they enter the building. Can I help you?

Hello Naru Akane says, recognizing the lady who has assisted her from her first visit on.

Oh, it s you Akane Naru says as she recalls Akane s prior visits with Nabiki. Why is your friend trembling?

This is my soon to be sister in law Ukyo Akane said with a blush.

Nice to meet you Naru says as she does a small bow.

Umm yeah nice to meet you, too Ukyo says as her eyes glance at the various outfits in the store.

What can get for you two today?

I m trying to help Ukyo out here get her some nice lingerie Akane said, hoping that Ukyo wouldn t freak out.

Ah well that I can do- follow me, please Naru said as she motioned Ukyo towards the back. Akane gives her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and Ukyo slowly follows Naru back to the changing room.

When the two women get inside, Naru asks Ukyo to take off her shirt and pants so that she can take her measurements. With some reluctance, Ukyo does so

What s with the bindings? They look like they ve been sliced with a knife or something Naru says, noticing the tattered bindings after Ukyo removes her shirt.

You wouldn t believe me if I told you Ukyo said with a sigh.

Well, those won t do at all Naru said as she pointed at the remnants of Ukyo s bindings. Can you take those off, please?

The brunette chef pauses and considers the request. Why am I so nervous? There s no one here that I know why is it so hard for me to me more feminine

Why are you binding your chest? You have a beautiful figure you should show it off. Akane said you were going to be her sister-in-law so you must be pretty serious about the guy you re with, am I right?

Ukyo nods her head affirmatively.

Well that s even more of a reason to wear nice clothes and to feel good nothing wrong with being a little sexy, especially when you're serious with your man

After hearing that, Ukyo thinks about it some more and nervously removes her bindings and remove her pants. I ll get all of your measurements and then you ll soon be a brand new woman in no time Naru said, trying not to intimidate Ukyo.

"No..." Ukyo says softly.

"I'm sorry what?" Naru asked, hoping that she was not hearing things.

"I... I don't want to be a whole new woman... I... I just want to be me... maybe a bit more you know... girly... but still me..." Ukyo was nervous and she was not completely sure why. But if Ryoga liked her the way she was, would he like her if she changed too much? 'Why am I getting so hung up on this?' she mentally ranted.

Okay I can still help you out then nothing extreme maybe a couple nice bra and panty sets and a full-length nightgown. How about that? Naru says, hoping that she could still help the nervous young woman out.

Well if you put it that way I Ukyo gulps and then mumbles the next word softly. Sure

Great! Naru began taking measurements and after that was done, left the room to pick out some lingerie for Ukyo. Ukyo sighs and then looks at herself in the mirror.

Maybe all those years of trying not to be feminine are making me nervous. Ranma and Ryoga think I'm cute. I wonder would Ryoga still like a more feminine me? This is so awkward!

I m back! Naru exclaims as she returns with three bras and panty sets. Which one do you wanna try on first? she said as put the lingerie down on the bench.

Well, let s see Ukyo began looking at what Naru had just brought in. How about that white one?

Here you go Naru said, passing the bra and matching pair of panties to Ukyo, who immediately notices how soft the fabric is on both undergarments

These feel nice

Of course Naru pauses and then gently encourages the girl. Come on, let s see how you look

Okay

About thirty seconds later, Ukyo finishes and looks at herself in the mirror. This doesn t look too bad- I think white s a good color for me

Looks good, Ukyo- that bra is comfortable but it s sexy and gives your figure a lift Naru said, causing Ukyo to look down at her chest.

They do look bigger Ukyo moved her hips a little bit. These panties feel real nice, too

I take it you like my first choice? Naru said as she watched Ukyo do a few poses in front of the mirror.

Yeah, it s pretty nice Ukyo said as she started to unfasten the bra. How about that pink pair?

Sure

Ukyo gets undressed and tries on the other two sets that Naru has brought over for her- one is pink and one is black.

While the brunette chef is trying on lingerie, Akane decides to look around a little bit. I wonder would he like me in this? Akane thought as she picked up a nearby bra. Or maybe this one- I'm sure he'll be bold more and more often with me and I want to look good

After a few minutes, Akane decides to pick a few new bras and try them on. I could use a few new bras... and I wonder if this is it for me or will I gain some more ground on my sisters?

Naru hears someone enter the dressing room across the way and hears humming a few moments later. Sounds like Akane- I wonder what she s picking up today?

I ll be right back, Ukyo Naru said, excusing herself.

Akane is putting on a black bra when Naru entered the dressing room. I see you ve found something

Oh, yeah Akane said as she began to blush.

Looks like you're dressing with a certain martial artist in mind Naru says with a wink.

Well, ummm maybe- in case things, you know, pick up Akane says nervously as she finishes putting on the bra.

Naru walks behind Akane and looks at the tag on the bra. Yep and this looks a fancier version of what you bought here last time

Well Akane blushes. Ranma really liked that one so I wanted to get something similar

Naru gets a twinkle in her eye and makes a suggestion. Since Ranma liked that one maybe he d like this A moment later, Naru pulls out something else for Akane to try. After thinking it over seriously for about 1.5 seconds Akane grabs it and tries it on.

As Akane eyes the garment, the brunette saleswoman explains what it is. It s an embroidered heart babydoll in black, of course

Nabiki got one of these from here before- it looks nice... but wait a second Akane took a closer look and realized that most of it was see-thru. He d be able to Akane stops talking and tries to avoid eye-to-eye contact with Naru- her face has just gone crimson red. Naru notices her reaction and decides to make a quick exit. I m almost done helping out Ukyo I ve just got one more thing to get for her.

Okay, I m almost done myself

I ll see you when you re done Naru says as she exits the room and heads over to another part of the store. After about a minute of examining various nightgowns, Naru finds the perfect one for Ukyo and brings it back to her dressing room.

Sorry about taking so long- I had to make a stop on my way back Naru says as she entered the dressing room.

Oh, it s no problem. I was just thinking about me and my feminine side Ukyo says softly.

The older brunette sits down next to her new customer. I m sorry if I was a little pushy earlier

Ukyo shakes her head. No, don t worry about it Noticing the nightgown in Naru s hand, Ukyo reaches out touches the fabric. This is really nice can I try it on?

Of course, I picked it out just for you The chuckling Naru says with a wink.

Ukyo puts the nightgown on and immediately knows that she ll like it. It s so soft and it s nice and warm- that s perfect since winter isn t that far away

Naru watches as Ukyo takes several looks at herself in the mirror and then smiles. I take it you like my choice Naru says, already knowing the answer that she ll receive.

Yeah Ukyo says, admiring the white nightgown for a few moments before taking it off. She puts on her pants again and then Naru hands her the white bra from earlier.

Here, put this on. I run this store and those bindings are no good anymore- this way you have something to wear

Okay Ukyo said as she once again slipped into the bra. Less then thirty seconds later, the pair head up from with the day s choices and find that Akane is already there and has checked out.

I see you guys are all done Akane says, noticing the clothing in both women s hands.

Yeah, I think Ukyo here will really enjoy everything Naru said as she put down the clothing she was carrying on the counter. Naru rings up the clothes and Akane pays for it, saying to Ukyo. It s on me, don t worry about it. I get a special rate here, right Naru?

"Of course, you've sent over your own classmates and helped out my business a lot. I'm more then happy to give you the special 'Nabiki rate'"

Thanks for everything, Akane Ukyo replied, feelingvery appreciative of all the help she had received today

Come back soon! Naru says as the two girls walk out of the shop with two bags each plus the box from earlier.

Outside, the others in the Amazon group see them emerge from the store and call out to them

Over here Shampoo waiting for Amazon sisters

Ukyo and Akane head over towards the nearby caf . Shampoo cannot help but be curious about what the girls got.

Sisters get sexy lingerie to tease airen?

Shampoo, I'm shocked! You shouldn't ask them like that!" Nodoka reprimanded.

"Shampoo sorry" The Amazon said sadly.

Ukyo and Akane giggled a moment before Nodoka spoke up. You should have said- 'Did you two get some nice things that your airens would enjoy? "

"Ouch..." said two voices as Akane and Ukyo tried to pull their faces out of the ground from where they had fallen after hearing that. Kodachi cannot help but laugh and Ranma-chan rolls her eyes.

"Can we talk about something else, mom? Maybe you could talk to those two about the weekend?"

"I don't know why you're so embarrassed... but okay. Akane, Ukyo have a seat and get something to eat- I think we need to start making a 'game plan' for the future here. I have a feeling the peaceful days won't be here for much longer..."

Akane and Ukyo look at each other for a moment and then join the rest of the group at the cafe. About ten minutes later all six women are distracted by a rickshaw approaching in the distance...

'That yelling sounds familiar' is the thought in Ranma-chan, Akane, and Kodachi's mind as the voices get closer.

"Run Sasuke, run!" Nabiki calls out as their pursuer draws near.

"I'm trying my best!" the ninja calls out, doing his best to pull his two passengers away from the approaching danger.

"Who is that crazy girl?" Kuno asks as he takes another look back.

"Come back with my Kathleen!"

"I'll tell you about it later, if we get away" the cautiously optimistic Nabiki says as the rickshaw continues down the street and past the cafe where the Amazon sextet are sitting.

"And you said I was insane- what she tried to do Sasuke earlier was..."

"Master, don't remind me!" the ninja says, wanting to shake the thought of ending up as that woman's plaything again.

Nodoka watches the long haired brunette go by and wonders why she's chasing Kuno and Nabiki. "That was strange- who is that girl chasing Nabiki and her boyfriend"

Ranma-chan and Akane remember all too well their dealings with Azusa and offer an explination.

Ranma starts with the easy part. "Yah see, that girl Azusa is crazy"

"And she sees something, gives it a name, and wants to take it home and keep it like a pet" Akane says, developing Ranma's thought a little more.

"Oh... sounds like trouble to me" Nodoka exclaims.

"Yeah, mom, we got enough trouble comin' our way soon enough" the redhead says before taking another bite of her sandwich.

"Maybe we should all go home and call it a day then? I think my brother will be gone for quite a while..."

The other girls see Kodachi grin and are very happy to see the changes in the young woman who is their comrade, sister, and friend.

Ukyo also likes the sound of that and wants to see Ryoga as soon as possible. "Okay then, we'll all meet up again tomorrow and get our new dresses and discuss our common problem"

The six women head their seperate ways, not sure of exactly what tomorrow will bring. When Ranma and Akane get back to the privacy of their own room they talk a little more about their "situation"...

Akane points at a new addition to the room. "I brought in this privacy screen so we could both change without leaving the room"

"Good thinkin'"

"Thanks. Why don't you change back to a guy and we can talk. I put some clothes back there for you"

Ranma takes the glass of hot water from Akane and steps behind the screen. As Ranma changes, Akane takes the opportunity to put away her two new purchases...

The ever curious Ranma remembers something he saw earlier. "I saw you got a bag from Naru's..."

"Yes" Akane says softly while gently folding her new babydoll and putting in her lingerie drawer.

"Anythin' interesting?"

"Maybe..." Akane says with a slight grin. "Let's not rush things, Ranma"

Ranma is disappointed to hear that but tries another ploy. "Okay... but do you have somethin' I can see before we start rushing?"

'Damn, he wants me bad! He takes off my shirt one time and now he can't get enough- good! I knew despite what he used to say that I knew that I could be cute and sexy and now I have a reason to wear nice stuff all the time- I never know when he might see some of it'

"Maybe" is the reply a moment later by Akane, who is taking the bra in question out of the bag. "If you're good"

"I'm always good" Ranma says proudly. "You're the one who skipped out on me earlier..."

Akane quickly makes a decision and in spite of what Ranma just said, she wants to show him the tamer of her two purchases. "Whatever you say, Ranma. Stay there until I tell you to come out"

"Fine. You have no idea the kinds of questions my mom was asking in front of everyone..."

"I'm sorry about that- Ukyo needed help and we're on good terms so I wanted to give her a hand. She's very self conscious and after Shampoo's little cutting incident, well..."

"No need to explain, you were just tryin' to be helpful" Ranma lets that one drop.

"Of course- I may not be the most feminine woman in the world but I do knoW a few things. She lost her feminine side when she was training to fight you for TEN years, Ranma..."

Ranma sighs aloud. "Yeah, I know- but that wasn't exactly all my fault"

"I know that- I'm not blaming you. At least you got her to stop by calling her cute. I know I wasn't happy at the time but at least you helped her back to a more normal life, or whatever that goes for around here"

Akane hears some laughing a moment later. "Normal? There ain't no such thing in my life"

"I guess I could say the same"

Getting back to the task at hand, Akane takes off her current shirt and bra and replaces them with her new bra and a button down shirt. 'I want to make him work to see this one... this seems a little perverted but it'll definitely be more fun for the both of us!'

With a mix of nervousness and excitement, the now changed Ranma awaits the sound of Akane's voice once again. He breathes a sigh of relief after getting "all clear" signal.

However, despite the signal, Ranma decides to play it safe. "Can I come out now? I know you yelled at me before for peeking, even on accident"

"It's okay, I'm dressed. Let's go eat dinner and then maybe later we can celebrate back here"

"I like your thinking, food and fun!"

The couple heads downstairs and waits with the others at the dining room table for dinner. Over in the kitchen, Kasumi is putting the finishing touches on dinner and is mulling over the current situation.

'Ranma and Akane have each other and can train together. Everyone's a martial artist but me and Nabiki- and she's going to be trained by the Kuno's. Who do I have to help me defend myself? I'm worried about what will happen when those people finally get here...'

End Chapter 18

To be continued in Chapter 19: Workout

Here are two omakes for your reading pleasure!

Omake 1- what could have happened if the agents caught up to the sisters in part B:

"We is Pink"

"And Link"

Said the two ghirls standing back to back wearing black suits and sporting dark sunglasses. Looking closely one could almost see soem sort of small device in thier left ears with a small wire dangling down.

"And we is..."

"...The Amazons in Black!"

"And we make this look good!"

"Ai-Yah!"

Omake 2- in an alternate world, with Shampoo's sisters, Lin-Lin and Ran-Ran...

"Now you come with us Mr Anderson..."

"We be needing a good husband!"

Neo, aka Mr Anderson looks at the two and then runs away screaming. 


	20. Chapter 20: Workout Part A

Chapter 19: Workout

Author's Notes: 100 level courses refer to a 1st year college student, 300 level courses refer to a more advanced 3rd year college course.

Part A

After a narrow escape, Nabiki arrives back home just in time for dinner with a promise to visit Kuno again later that night. She walks in and takes a seat at the table...

"I see you escaped that crazy girl" Ranma notes aloud.

"Barely" is about all Nabiki will volunteer before digging into her food. The other present decide not to bring up the subject, Dinner is unusually quiet and the only source of excitement is near the end of the meal when Ranma and Akane are caught exchange glances... Nabiki, Nodoka, Genma, and Soun notice their exchange and assume something is going on...

"Well, I'm done eatin', good meal Kasumi"

"Thank you" the tall brunette says happily before taking Ranma's bowl. "I see that you're done Akane"

"Yeah, couldn't eat another bite" Akane says before stifling a burp. "I think I'll go upstairs and finish some homework"

"Same here, we didn't get to work on that much this weekend" Ranma adds.

"I'll bet, you were just taking Akane 101, weren't you?" Nabiki says with a wink.

"If it was my manly son, surely it was the advanced level 301 class! These two are practically married after all!" Nodoka says cheerfully, causing Akane and Ranma to blush.

Genma puts in his "two cents" on this subject too. "Good point, dear"

"My baby is finally growing up!" Soun says before bawling into tears. Kasumi starts to comfort him and the embarrassed couple makes their escape...

Up in their new bedroom the two teens realize that they have only a few moments before most of the household is pressing their ears to the door, listening for any sort of "activity" that might be happening...

"I know they'll be up here any second so let's figure this out- we have no leftover homework... what did you want to do, Ranma?"

Ranma presents his idea. "Let's go do some sparring then- you did say that you want me to practice with you and this is the perfect chance to show me how sneaky you can be"

Akane thinks about it. "I see..."

"We can sneak out of your window- but we gotta move, now!" the pig-tailed martial artist says as the precious seconds of freedom begin slipping away.

About two seconds later Akane makes a decision. "Okay, let's go before they get here!"

Ranma opens the window and carefully steps outside, helping Akane to do the same. The two hop onto a nearby tree and quietly make their way to the dojo, taking care to stay hidden in the shadows when possible and keep absolutely quiet...

Back in the dining room, Soun has finally calmed down and Kasumi has taken him upstairs to his room before returning to her duties. She sighs aloud after seeing Nodoka, Genma, and Nabiki standing in front of Ranma and Akane's door, which now says "Ranma and Akane Saotome", courtesy of a quick order by Nodoka for his son from a local woodworking shop.

"I don't hear anything" Nabiki quips.

"They couldn't be done already" Genma says, referring to something more advanced they might be doing.

"My manly son? Akane would still be feeling "appreciated" right now, he wouldn't rush things, DEAR" Nodoka says, causing Genma to cringe. Nabiki rolls her eyes and thinks 'That's too much information- I did not need to hear that!'

"Well, I'll leave you two to spy on them... I have other things to do" Nabiki says before making a break for her own room... where she places a cup over the hole in the wall and listens in. 'That's better- now I don't have to hear those two talking about their own sex lives...'

Over in the dojo, Akane and Ranma do some basic stretches and then start some full fledged training, attacking each other with increasing intensity. Ranma likes the fact that Akane is taking this seriously and is getting better every time they practice.

"Not bad, tomboy" Ranma says with a grin.

"Baka, I was just going easy on you- I only show my best attacks when I have to go out and save you" Akane says, wanting to tease Ranma a little.

"Save me?" Ranma says defiantly before Akane gives him "The Look", making him rethink that answer. "Well, I guess that happens sometime, too..."

"Better- we're supposed to be more honest with each other..."

Ranma immediately apologizes. "Sorry- old habits die hard"

Akane nods her head. "No problem- but let's train some more, I'm just starting to get warmed up"

"Sure thing- but I ain't gonna go easy on yah"

"You better not!"

With that, the fight is on once again with increased intensity. Both teens score blows on each other and despite the discomfort, feel better about themselves and each other. Akane notices that she's working up a sweat... and Ranma is starting to be distracted by that. Unfortunately for her, the same thing is happening to her... the urge to want to take off Ranma's shirt is growing inside her.

"I think that's enough for one day" Ranma says while trying to catch his breath.

"Yeah" is Akane's reply while trying to do the same thing. She notices that Ranma is watching her with increased interest... especially her chest as it rises and falls with each breath she takes. His next comment reflects what's currently on his mind...

"Hey tomboy, you're looking all hot and sweaty- must've been that chestnuts attack"

"I can do... maybe not as fast you,,, but I think you got sweaty dodging it" Akane says, expressing her own thoughts on the matter. "Come here, Ranma"

The youngest Tendo motions over at one of the far corners of the dojo, darkened by the setting sun. 'That ought to keep us in the shadows and give us some privacy' is the thought in her mind as she back steps towards the corner, deliberately breathing deeply despite not needing the extra air anymore. Ranma follows her eagerly, not bothering to hide his enthusiasm for the fiesty tomboy.

Ranma lowers his voice to a whisper. "It's kinda dark over here- is there somethin' you wanted to do Akane?"

"Maybe... since you were nice enough to spar with me without complaining or insulting me. Kiss me, baka"

Needing no further encouragement, Ranma leans in and gives Akane a kiss. Slowly but surely the fire between them grows hotter and hotter- both wrap their hands around the other and body to body they express their innermost feelings for each other. A few words are spoken between kisses...

"Mmm... Baka"

"Mmm... Tomboy"

"More?"

Feeling bold, Ranma increases the passion of his kisses and their tongues meet, raising this expression of love to a higher level. Akane can feel Ranma's hands on her behind, gently squeezing it...

"Mmm... Ranma... you're really learning how to make me feel good" Akane says, her voice wavering on the edge of sounding sultry and seductive.

"Sexy tomboys are my favorite subject" is Ranma's reply to that. He senses her approval to that comment by the way her grip suddenly tightens... and fails to notice the change in Akane's aura as they kiss once again...

It isn't long before the sound of ripping fabric echos throughout the dojo. A red piece of cloth that was formerly a shirt drops to the ground, much to the shock of the owner.

"Hey! What was that for!"

"Baka's are my favorite subject after all" is about all Akane will say before resting one of her hands on his chest. "I knew there had to be another use for the old man's techniques"

"Clever, very clever" Ranma admits. "Still, I lost my shirt!"

"You have a million of those, trust me I know. Who helped you move today?"

"I didn't even feel you do that, I must be losing it" Ranma admits with a hint of sadness.

Akane moves closer and kisses him on the cheek. "There's nothing to be ashamed of- and you did tell me to be more sneaky!"

"I guess I did- did you want to stay a little longer? I'm sure we still have some time before they start knocking on the door or searching for us"

Akane nods her head. "Of course, this is fun... let's practice some more, Ranma"

Gently, Ranma pulls Akane back into a loving embrace and contemplates what to do next as they begin kissing again...

'She got me good... but I didn't master that technique by Happosai, hell, I didn't get a chance to even practice it. I think she should get a dose of her own medicine, though- if I can pull it off!'

Akane wonders what's going on as his hands shift up slightly from her hips onto the bottom of her shirt. She thinks nothing of it, however, due to being lost in the moment. Ranma does his best to kiss her and focus his energy on duplicating the same moved used against him.

'Work, damn it, work!'

Nothing happens, much to Ranma's chagrin. It takes him a few moments to realize that something must be missing.

'Akane was thinking about me when she did that and how much she wanted to see my chest, it was her desires- yes! If I think about how much I want to see her with her shirt off, then it should work!'

Just like Ranma, Akane fails to notice when her partner's aura changes and the "Fabric Failure" move is implemented. The now familiar sound of fabric shredding causes Akane to break the kiss and push Ranma away...

"RANMA!"

"What?" is his reply, trying his best to sound innocent.

Akane gets in his face and pays no attention to the fact that her new bra is now fully visible. "My shirt! That wasn't cheap you know!"

"I guess I figured out that move just now... and what's fair is fair! You shredded my shirt so I get to shred yours. I'll buy yah a new one if it'll make you feel better, okay?"

The hot-headed tomboy is partially appeased by that offer. "Fine... but the most important thing is, I have no shirt right now- what if someone sees me like this? They'll think we were really going at it!"

"Good point... but I hope you can be as sneaky as you were getting in here"

Akane crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Of course I can!"

"Then prove it..." Ranma says before darting for the nearest exit as the sound of a door opening echoes through the dojo. Akane immediately follows Ranma... both teens forget about the shirts they left behind.

"I could've sworn someone was in here..." Kasumi says to herself softly. She's about to turn around when she spots something in the far corner of the dojo.

'I wonder what that is? Hmm...'

The oldest Tendo daughter walks the length of the dojo and finds the two shredded shirts lying on the ground. She blushes and wonders what her sister and Ranma are doing...

'Just don't rush things, you two- and I hope you'll get some privacy from everyone else- this is no place for...'

After picking up the two shirts thoughts of Doctor Tofu come into Kasumi's mind... and in a rush, the brunette runs out of the dojo, doing her best not to think about what would happen if the good Doctor tried to shred her shirt,,,

About two minutes later the pair on the run, Ranma and Akane, arrive back in their room through the window. Ranma closes the window and draws the curtains shut.

"Whew, we made it!" Akane says while breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yep, we're back and no one saw us"

Akane makes another point. "And we've got one less person to worry about- Nabiki's gone over by Kuno's place"

"That's one less person to spy on us" Ranma says before stretching out on the bed. "What a day- I swear we never get a break"

"That's the kind of life I'm getting into- it was crazy enough before you arrived" Akane says with a grin.

"I guess... but at least I'm keepin' yah on your toes. It's kinda funny that we do all this running around and end up back here"

"True- but I have another question for you"

"What's that?" the curious martial artist says.

"My new bra, what do you think?" the now blushing Akane says, wanting his opinion on the garment.

Realizing that his opinion on matters like this are more important each day, Ranma motions her to come closer. Slowly Akane climbs into bed and positions herself right above her blushing fiancee.

"Well?"

Akane stares at her fiancee and watches as he tries to form words... her appearance has Ranma speechless.

'Maybe if I move closer he'll say something'

"How about now?" Akane says adjusting her position to give Ranma a better view. The pervertedness of all of this, at least in the mind of the old Akane, is dead. Every action that each teen does now is done without the internal obstacles of the past.

"Tomboy"

"Yes?"

"You look even sexier in that bra then the one you had on last night" Ranma says softly, his eyes looking up into her eyes for a moment before returning to the sight in front of him. He feels her left hand running across his bare chest and wonders what she's up to.

"Thanks Ranma- you have a nice chest, too... well defined..."

"So's yours... ummm..." Ranma's eyes look down again to get another look at the fancy black bra Akane is wearing... the design of the bra accentuates her natural curves plus the lace adds a fancy touch. The pigtailed martial artist still can't believe this is the same girl he met over a year ago- the attitude, the body... everything's different in a good way.

"I'll have to remember how much you like this one" Akane says with a giggle, breaking her nervousness about their current situation.

"Definitely- I can't believe this is the same Akane I walked in on that first night I was here..."

"HEY! You saw me naked, pervert! I remember that incident- and then you did it again as a girl!"

"And you saw me so we're even" Ranma says, dismissing that arguement. "That's why I can say you look better now, you got a new hairstyle... and you're more then cute"

"Oh?"

"You're cute and sexy" Ranma admits softly. "You sure got curvy!"

"Like I told you before, one reason that happened was to spite you and your flat-chested comments about me" the mischevious tomboy says with a grin before lowering her body on top of his. "Seriously, I'm a late bloomer, that's all"

"I know... but it takes time for tomboys to blossom" Ranma says before wrapping his arms around her and gently rubbing her back.

"I guess it does... and time for baka's to do the same"

Since Akane mentions that, Ranma has to ask. "Was I worth the wait?"

"Of course"

Liking that answer, Ranma draws the covers over him and Akane and then gives her a kiss on the cheek. "I think we better turn in... it's getting late..."

"Yeah... thanks for a fun night, Ranma"

Ranma smiles. "Thanks for showing me that new one"

"Just use the buttons next time, okay? Don't forget you owe me a shirt!" Akane says, reminding him of what he said earlier.

"I know- we'll get one tomorrow. I did like your outfit tonight, even before the shredding"

Akane yawns aloud. "Thanks Ranma... we'll talk more in the morning"

"'Night Akane"

While the youngest Tendo daughter and her fiancee get some much needed rest the middle Tendo daughter Nabiki makes a quick trip over to the Kuno residence.

"I hope this is a good surprise, it's late and we do have school tomorrow" Nabiki says to her boyfriend after entering his room.

"You will enjoy my surprise... your present awaits you on the desk"

The brunette walks over to the desk and notices a small box which she opens. "Let's see... hmmm..."

"The garment should fit"

Nabiki nods her head. "I know it will- you have all my measurements, thanks to Akane"

"'Twas quite a surprising set of numbers"

"It's no fun for me- you already know how much of me is holding you" Nabiki says before sticking out her tongue.

"But it makes it easier to order things for you" is Kuno's immediate reply to that, pointing out the positive side of that.

"Good point- but it's still something that a girl doesn't give out right away so consider yourself lucky"

"I know that I am"

A slight blush covers Nabiki's face and she takes the white outfit completely out of the box. "It's a gi... with my name on it"

"Yes- you seemed serious about wanting to train so I ordered you something appopriate to train in. My sister and I will help you starting tomorrow"

"I'm looking forward to it- but I have to warn you, I haven't really practised anything in a really long time- Akane was the only one that was halfway serious about training and inheriting the dojo"

Kuno is unswayed. "I look forward to the challenge then- please try it on, so I have peace of mind tonight with my special order for you"

"Okay- I'll let you know when to come back in then..."

Pleased with that response, Kuno turns around and heads out of his bedroom, closing the door behind him. His heart beats rapidly as he waits for his girlfriend to try out the special gi...

It isn't long before Nabiki's changed into the gi, though she pauses to look at herself in the mirror before calling Kuno back into the room. 'Looking good Nabiki... at least I can train in style'

"You can come in now" the brunette calls out and immediately the door flies open.

"How does it suit you?" the anxious Kuno asks while observing Nabiki, who's making karate poses in front of the mirror.

"I look deadly" the brunette says with a grin. "I guess this could be me..."

"I have one more gift for you to complete the look"

Nabiki watches as Kuno walks over to another part of the room and picks up one of his bokken and hands it to her. "You'll be needing this for practice tomorrow"

"You're teaching me the ways of kendo?"

Kuno nods his head. "Yes, you need a skill to defend yourself with- the current enemy will expect you to be defenseless and you shall take them by surprise, especially if you are wielding moves such as I"

"Oh... I guess that makes sense" is Nabiki's response before taking the bokken into her hands. "Do you mind if I take this with me?"

"Not at all... were you going to return home in that gi?"

"I was thinking about jogging home... I do need to get in shape for all this training- just don't go too hard on me!" Nabiki says before giving her boyfriend a hug. "Treat me like a new student"

"Point noted- I shall see you in class tomorrow"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow. I'm sure everyone will be wondering why I'm carrying this..."

Kuno agrees with that thought. "Perhaps"

"Rumors could form... but I know how to deal with those..." Nabiki says with a grin. "See yah Kuno-baby"

"Good night!"

Kuno watches Nabiki bundle her street clothes and take off with her new gifts. 'I can only pray that she recieves enough training before this new enemy returns or she could be in danger. I will not let her get hurt!'

As the middle Tendo daughter heads home in the evening darkness she can't help but feel confident, even dangerous in her outfit plus bokkan- despite her total lack of any martial arts knowledge. When she arrives home, Kasumi does a double-take at her appearance.

"Nabiki... is that you?"

Nabiki slowly nods her head. "I see I took you by surprise... maybe it's not me... but I know a good bet when I see one- and I say trouble is coming our way. I want to be ready for it!"

"I see..."

"I think you should get back into the training too, sis... those Amazons take no prisoners you know..." Nabiki says on a more serious note before heading into the kitchen.

The normal happy go lucky Kasumi feels a sense of forboding after hearing that and realizes that it's true- there are no innocents. She silently nods her head and says "good night" before heading upstairs... where she sees Nodoka Saotome in the hallway.

"Don't forget our little mission in the morning dear"

"I'll be ready, Auntie... don't worry"

"I'll see you in the morning then" is her reply with a smile before heading into her room. Kasumi silently walks down the hall and heads into her room. It isn't long before she's changed for bed and silently staring at the ceiling as she tries to fall asleep on her bed.

'I wonder if her idea will really work? He's the only that could train me... but I think this is worth the risk- I need him more then ever'

Sleep finally takes hold of the oldest Tendo daughter and her body gets the rest it needs. Monday morning isn't far away...

Early in the morning, just after sunrise, Nodoka wakes up and shakes her husband... rousing him out of his stupor.

"What is it?"

"Time to get up- you have to work soon... and I have a mission with Kasumi to undertake"

Genma sits up on the futon. "Oh yeah, the one you told me about last night. Good luck with that..."

"I will suceed..." the brunette says firmly before standing up. "Or else Kasumi could be in real danger"

"True..."

In a hurried pace, the two Saotome parents get things ready for the day ahead... allowing Kasumi to momentarily leave the house. Genma leaves for his job and Nodoka finishes breakfast and places it on the table...

"There, everything's ready for breakfast. Now we can go..."

Kasumi hesitates. "Auntie... I've had..."

"No second guessing this- you need to stand up for what you believe in. Remember what you told me about last time you went there? How you were brought to tears"

Silently, Kasumi shakes her head and acknowledges the truth of that statement. "Okay... let's go"

The pair leave the house and miss the confusion from the others over breakfast... and Kasumi not being there. About twenty minutes later, the sound of a slap is heard in an office for the 3rd time in as many minutes...

Nodoka looks sternly at the man in front of her. "Get a hold of yourself- this woman loves you and needs your help! Her life could be in jeopardy!"

Kasumi doesn't know what to do... she's torn between seeing him get hurt and the truth behind Nodoka's words. She thinks about it for a moment and then takes a deep breath...

"Doctor Tofu?"

"Yes... K-Kasumi?" the stuttering Doctor says while doing his best not to go crazy... the proximity of the eldest Tendo daughter and her beauty has made him act like this for the longest time. He slowly extends his arms out, motioning her to come closer.

Nodoka smiles. "Go on, dear. That's the next part of the therapy- he has to hold you"

Kasumi shyly blushes and steps closer and closer, looking for any reaction from Doctor Tofu. After she's satisfied that he won't go nuts, she takes the last few steps and feels him arms encircle her body.

"Good... I was getting afraid I was going to have to get out my sword"

The good doctor instantly becomes fearful. "No, no... no swords..."

Kasumi takes this opportunity to rest her head on Doctor Tofu's chest and let her true feelings come out. Tears flow from her eyes as the emotions of the moment finally catch up to her.

"You don't know how long I've wanted this" the brunette says in a whisper.

"Don't cry... please. I'm sorry about what I put you through"

Kasumi silent snuggles her head against his chest and tries not to feel awkward about showing her innermost feelings for the man that she loves. Nodoka decides to leave the couple to talk things over and reminds Doctor Tofu again about the situation.

"Yes, I will help her" is his reply, much to the satisfaction of both Nodoka and Kasumi. The Saotome matriarch leaves and heads back home with a smile, happy that she could help with another matter of love...

After Nodoka leaves Doctor Tofu gently lets go of the brunette in his arms and rubs his swollen cheek. "I had no idea she could hit so hard! I don't even want to think about what she was going to do with that sword"

Kasumi looks up into his eyes. "I'm sorry Auntie had to do that... but I just couldn't take it anymore. This new Amazon situation made me even more... emotional about this..."

"Kasumi..."

"Yes?"

"You do know that you'll have to learn martial arts... and will have to fight back. I don't have much experience with the Amazons myself but from what I've seen we'll have our hands full"

Kasumi slowly nods her head. "Shampoo has mentioned many times what lengths the Amazons will go to get their target. Thank you for agreeing to help me defend myself"

"No problem- I don't want to see you get hurt..."

The brunette gently touches his red cheek and feels sorry that Auntie Nodoka had to do this- but there really wasn't any choice. "I think you need a little medical attention" is her soft reply with a smile.

"Love does hurt sometimes" is the semi-joking reply from Tofu who gently touches the brunette's hair before letting her go. "When did you want to start?"

Kasumi closes her eyes and thinks about that question. "Tomorrow. I don't want to overload you after all..."

"You can slap me if I get out of line" the Doctor says with a grin.

"I will" Kasumi says with a gentle tap before flashing him a warm but serious smile. "See you tomorrow"

"See you tomorrow..." the waving Doctor says while Kasumi makes her exit. He stands there in the center of the room for several minutes after she leaves and ponders his own personal situation now that Kasumi needs him to... survive. The mere thought of her getting hurt drives him to action, prompting him to get to work immediately on a training routine suitable for her...

Kasumi, in a happy mood, softly whistles to herself on the way home. With a mix of excitement and some nervousness she contemplates this new step in her life and hopes she can handle both the training and dealing with Doctor Tofu... and the implications of fighting an invader that will stop at nothing to achieve their goals...

End Part A 


	21. Chapter 21: Workout Part B

Start Part B

A little before dawn, Akane wakes up and gently rubs her eyes. She watches the sleeping Ranma for a while, thinking about this new turn in their relationship and what's the next step...

"Hey, I want to talk to you" Akane says in a whisper while gently nudging her sleeping fiancee.

"Huh, what?" Ranma rouses from his sleep. "Mornin' Akane"

"Mornin', Ranma"

Turning his head to the side, Ranma notices the time and wonders why she's up so early.

"Did yah want to do some morning sparring or somethin', it's really early..." Ranma says with a yawn.

"Not exactly- I want to talk to you about what happened yesterday" is Akane's immediate response.

Remembering yesterday's "incident", Ranma immediately tries to avoid any arguements and tries to reassure his fiancee. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about replacing your shirt, we'll get yah a new one after school today"

"I'm glad you remembered- but it's more then the shirt I want to talk about. Some basic stuff if you and I are going to do this more often" Akane says with a smile, reveling in the moment and enjoying this latest expression of her love and sexuality.

Ranma grins as well. "So, you want me to keep taking that shirt off, huh"

"Taking off, not shredding to pieces baka! You know I like it when you're..." Akane's voice drops to a whisper. "Gentle with me"

Working on his ability to compliment his fiancee, Ranma has a fitting response to that. "Yeah, it seems to bring out a side of you that I happen to like..."

"Me too. I need your help, though, if we're going to keep with this arrangement"

Ranma is eager to help out. "Okay, what do yah need?"

"Normally I don't wear a bra when I'm sleeping... so if I fall asleep like I did last night, I want you to unhook it"

Ranma's eyes get larger. "Oh, I see..."

"You seem to know how to do that quite well, my perverted baka"

Gently, the pig-tailed martial artist begins carressing Akane's hair. "You're getting to be a tease, yah know..."

Akane blushes. "Only for you, Ranma. Doing this kind of thing with you is, well... kinda exciting"

"Definitely... being with you definitely shows me there's more to life then just martial arts... and it's something we share"

Akane nods her head and relaxes as Ranma continues his gentle massage of her hair. After a little while he lets one hand move onto her back and stealthily unhooks Akane's bra, causing her to sigh aloud.

"Ranma..."

"Just checking to make sure I remembered how to do it"

Akane rolls her eyes. "Whatever, Ranma. Since you did that, though, why don't you rub my back?"

Happy that he's avoided Akane's wrath, Ranma happily complies with her request. "Sure thing, I'll let you know when it's time to get up for our morning excercises"

"Thanks Ranma... I owe you one" Akane yawns and then falls back asleep, comfortable with her position on top of her love, Ranma. True to his word, Ranma massages her back and thinks about the woman on top of him...

'She's getting kinda serious and ain't even minding it when I'm being perverted- I like this trend... who knows what'll happen next?'

Later that morning Ranma and Akane join the rest of the family downstairs for breakfast where the main topic is this new Amazon threat.

"Nabiki has been generous enough to buy new cell phones for everyone... that'll help out a bit" Soun mentions after passing out the new equipment.

"No strings attached?" Akane asks, knowing that the word "generous" isn't really in Nabiki's vocabulary.

"Oh come on Akane, we're talking something very serious here- everyone's at risk... being nice one in a while won't break my bank... and besides, I got the money from Kuno-baby"

"Ah..." Ranma says, not surprised to hear that the money didn't come from her own pocket.

Nodoka changes the conversation to another aspect of the preperation topic. "Kasumi, how is your training coming along with the good Doctor?"

A slight blush forms on Kasumi's face. "Just fine... I'm going over later this morning- I'm sure he'll be ready soon to instruct me in some martial arts..."

"Isn't this a throwback to the past, Tendo? All three of your daughters practicing the Art once again" Genma says, making an observation of the current situation.

"I don't like the circumstances behind it but it makes me very proud to see it" Soun says with a smile.

The three Tendo sister look at each other and can't help but feel good about renewing this common bond between them once again. Nodoka gets up and sits behind Ranma and Akane who wonder what's going on...

"There's more... I've been talking with Elder Cologne and I have a special mission for you two..." Ranma's mother then places one hand on each of the two teens' heads. "I hope you're ready to come up with a new move"

Akane is confused. "New move?"

"As part of your Amazon sisterhood, it's required. It'll help with battling any invading Amazons as well..."

Ranma nods his head. "Well, that kinda makes sense..."

After hearing that, Soun speaks up and reveals that's just the start of the mission. "We've got something else to add to that mission"

"Oh? What's that?" Akane asks, curious and nervous about what else there could be.

"Shampoo will be by after you get home from class to demonstrate something for you two. Nodoka and I have our own addition to this new training, though..."

Ranma is getting tired of the run around and wants to know what's going on. "Okay, enough wit' the mystery... what do yah want us to do?"

"Oh, I know you'll just LOVE this, Ranma dear" Nodoka says sweetly while looking at her son and his fiancee.

"Uh huh..." is Ranma's reply, not liking the sound of that.

"Starting tomorrow, you two will go training together for a week, alone up in the nearby woods..." Soun says in a very serious tone.

Akane has a quick reply for that. "What about school? And what if we get attacked?"

"I don't endorse missing school but this is a very serious matter in more then one way... and the cell phones will help cover that angle"

Ranma puts two and two together and wants to make sure he's got the right idea here. "Okay, I got yah Mister Tendo... so I take it you mean camping then..."

"Yes"

"And then we work out this new move"

"Yes"

Ranma turns and looks at his fiancee. "That don't sound too bad, right Akane?"

"Not too bad..."

"Oh, I almost forgot- Akane will be making breakfast each day as part of the training"

All eyes turn and look at Nodoka... several of those present wonder if she's truly gone mad.

"What? Are you trying to..." Ranma suddenly realizes what he's saying and quickly puts his hands over his mouth.

Nabiki sees a chance to tease both Ranma and Akane and takes it. "What was that, Ranma?"

There is a slight reaction from Akane but she quickly lets it pass since Ranma at least tried to stop himself from running his big mouth. "Ahem. More couple's training?"

"Yes, dear... Ranma seems to be a capable cook..." Nodoka says in an encouraging tone.

"Ranma's not going to have to worry about the Amazons killing him..."

"I think that's enough, Nabiki" is the stern reply to that last comment by the Tendo patriarch. Akane shoots her sister a look but says nothing. Ranma wisely keeps his mouth shut, well aware that cooking is a very sore point with Akane.

"We didn't leave you out Nabiki, so don't worry... we've got special training lined up just for you"

Nodoka's comment brings a wide smile to Ranma and Akane's face. "Heh... that'll be somethin' to see..."

"Oh be quiet Ranma... it's not like I'm totally out of shape..."

"Your new boyfriend will be by after school to begin the instruction so be sure to come home right away- there's not a moment to lose"

Nabiki is a little surprised. "You've got Kuno-baby roped into this already?"

"In a way, you've got the harder task since you're not as proficient as Akane..." Nodoka points out without trying to sound negative about it. Akane cannot help but like that comment, especially since her own faults are pointed out and harped on regularly by Nabiki.

Nabiki's eyes narrow. "I see... well, I'll have to conduct today's business at lunch then and later tonight on the phone but I think I'll manage"

"I'm glad to hear it, this is very serious business and I don't want anyone to be unprepared" Soun says with a firm nod. "Akane and Ranma will have to pack tonight, too... I've already taken care of your absences so the Principal and your teachers know what's going on"

A thought pops into Nabiki's head a moment later, a very devious one. 'The fun's not over little sis, I've got something in mind for you and Ranma, just you wait and see...'

"I'm going to head out for class now... maybe I can take care of some business before class. I'll see everyone later..."

With that, Nabiki leaves the room and makes her way upstairs, not liking this rushing start to her day but realizing that she really doesn't have a choice in the matter, 'It's not business I'm stopping off to take care of... but pleasure... heh. Good thing I have keys...'

After Nabiki's departure, Akane cannot help but shake the feeling that something's not quite right... but she dismisses the thought and finishes her breakfast. It isn't long before everyone heads their seperate ways... Happosai begins doing some training with Genma and Soun- Nodoka's practicing of her swordmanship nearby is a deterent enough for any complaints that either were going to field...

Around noon, Kasumi finishes making lunch and lets Nodoka know that she's leaving for her own training trip, leaving the remaining chores for the Saotome matriarch to finish. Nodoka is glad to help and secret wonders how long it'll take before that training changes from an excercise in "desensitizing" to one of love and passion...

The school day goes by rather quickly- Ranma and Akane update Ukyo on what's going on, allowing the chef to be aware of the situation. Ukyo shows off her new phone during the lunch hour, demonstrating the true need for everyone to be connected in this time of crisis...

After school, Nabiki gets Kuno and heads back to the Tendo dojo to practice, letting Akane and Ranma head inside the house undisturbed to talk with Shampoo and Mousse, who meets the pair upstairs in the new shared bedroom.

"Watch Shampoo and learn Amazon techniques..."

Ranma and Akane sit on the bed and watch Shampoo demonstrate a tickling moving first- that seems easy enough to imitate by the observers. Move two is a variation of the Amazon glomp that the purple haired teen had used many times on Ranma.

"I seen that before..."

"Ranma no see real way out of move, though" is her reply while rubbing her chest against the blushing Mousse.

"There's a proper way out of this... and it's just for married couples..." Mousse adds, wanting the two observers to know the purpose of this demonstration.

Akane doesn't want to wait. "Okay, show us then"

Both Ranma and Akane's eyebrows go up as they watch the way Mousse escapes the hold... she seems to enjoy the method a lot...

"I see..." is Ranma's only comment on the way out of the move.

"Shampoo show move, now Akane glomp Ranma!"

Akane looks at Ranma and grins. "Wo Ai Ni!"

Before Ranma can say a word he finds himself in a very familiar position... but this time it's his fiancee glomping him...

"Feels like the real thing..." the blushing martial artist admits as Akane truly plays the part.

"Ranma... you know how to get out of this hold... don't you?" Akane winked at him and watched as his face went very red.

Ranma softly says one word. "Yes..."

"Okay... then show me. And no, you can't change into your girl form, either..." Akane giggled. 'This is fun... now we just have to worry about his new move...'

Ranma gets even redder at Akane's very forward advances on him and hesitates. She decides to tease him further...

Akane looks down at herself. "I know I don't fill this outfit out as much as Shampoo does..." Akane paused to look at Ranma... and was surprised that he was boldly staring at her chest. "You know I'm not wearing a bra, either..."

"Wh... what?" Was about all Ranma could manage to say. 'What has Shampoo done to my Akane?'

Akane notices his reaction and his deep thinking and decides to stop with the charade. "Sorry, Ranma...

"Ranma needs to make move, Akane working too too hard here!" Shampoo says, interrupting the conversation.

"Figures... you had her dress up like this just for this excercise..." Ranma mutters. "Don't mind it that much, though"

Akane likes the sound of that. "Good- this Amazon is waiting..."

"You were scaring me for a second there... I think you're getting way too into this role, tomboy"

"I'm just playing the part... but I do fill this out pretty well, right?" Akane suddenly feels very self-conscious... ever since her and Ranma had gotten closer, she had looked at herself more critically. Ranma also was increasingly nervous as things moved along... despite the help he was getting from his mother and others.

"Oh, yeah... you do..." Ranma said while gently pushing Akane off of him. Part of her was on his left leg, causing it to go numb. Akane's voice is heard a moment later... along with a slight gasp.

"Well, I can see that you do know how to get out this hold... but can you get your hands off of my breasts, please?" Akane said as her face turned a blazing red from a combination of embarassment, excitement, and anger.

Ranma looks at his hands and realizes that when he pushed her away, he didn't push her shoulders, but something lower...

"Oops..." Ranma said as he removed his hands from her body. 'I hope she doesn't kill me...'

"You can say that again. Now, I only have one thing to say to you, Ranma Saotome..." Akane said as she moved her face to within inches of his.

Ranma gulped and prepared for the worst.

"Ranma... I do hope that you're ready..." Akane stared at Ranma menacingly. He cringes and closes his eyes.

Akane then continues. "Ready... to marry me..."

Ranma's eyes shoot open and bug out. "M... m... marry?"

Akane responed matter of factly. "Of course, you did touch my breasts just now, didn't you? You're now my husband..." Ranma faints and hits the floor hard. Akane cannot contain her laughter anymore and starts laughing aloud with Shampoo and Mousse.

"I guess he couldn't handle it, that's too bad" Mousse quips.

"He'll be fine- it's just the past haunting us again. Anytime he's touched those it the past I've beat him..." Akane says with a hint of sadness.

"Shampoo and airen will head downstairs, let Shampoo know when you are ready for more training"

"Sure"

Akane watches the Amazon couple leave and then turns her attention back to the unconscious Ranma.

'Poor Ranma... I guess he still can't take a joke... but still... that did feel kinda nice...' Akane stopped laughing and looked down at her fiancee. She took him into her arms and placed a small kiss on his cheek.

"Ranma... Ranma... wake up..."

Ranma opens his eyes and stares at Akane, not sure of what to do next. Akane speaks softly to him. "I know... that you want to be closer to me... you've told me several times that you like certain bras that I have..."

Ranma goes red in the face after hearing that, prompting Akane to continue expressing herself. "Ranma, I was just kidding about the marriage thing... we're still getting to know each other..."

Ranma nervously looks at Akane and then smiles. "Yeah... I don't wanna rush things... but I umm... do want to do umm... things with you..."

Akane put a finger on his lips and he stops speaking. "I do, too... I have feelings about you, too..." Akane's voice drops down to a whisper. "And desires..."

All Ranma can say is "Oh..." in response to what Akane just said. 'I want to tell her something... but I have to feel comfortable...' Ranma decides to lie down on his futon. Akane, curious about what Ranma is doing, stares at his face. With a nervous smile, he gently pulls Akane down onto his chest.

"Akane, I have..."

Akane snuggles her head against Ranma's chest and relaxes in an attempt to calm down Ranma. She feels his arms move onto her back and then they gently caress the middle of her back.

In a near whisper, Akane hears Ranma admit something a moment later. "I... I... have d-desires about you, too..."

Akane responds softly. "I know... the way you're talking... and touching me... shows me that..."

Ranma is about to say something when Akane yawns and then falls asleep snuggled on his chest. He sighs and then pulls the blanket on top of them both. Ranma continues to think about Akane and the new assignment that he just got from his mother. Her words still echo through his mind... 'A brand new technique for each of you... you must prove that you are ready to inherit the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. I know you two are not ready to marry, but you must still show your desire to inherit the school to Soun and I...'

Ranma softly talks to himself. "I think Akane has a good grasp of what she's gonna use... but I need something new. Something different that combines what we just saw and our new idea..."

Ranma stares up at the ceiling for a moment before something comes to mind. 'Oh yeah! Mousse used that tickling technique to get Shampoo to surrender to him... maybe I could use something similar to stop a fight or something- Akane still gets angry with me sometimes...'

The thought train in Ranma's head is derailed a moment later by the sound of a door opening. A figure steps inside the room and then gasps aloud. Ranma blinks and finds a wooden bokken in his face a moment later.

"How could you, Ranma? My sister bust her butt for you and this is how you repay her?" Nabiki said as she pointed her bokken at the sleeping figure on top of Ranma. 'Damn, Shampoo did a great job with Akane's hair... it fooled her sister...' Ranma though before looking back at Nabiki.

"Look, Nabiki... this isn't Shampoo... it's Akane..."

Nabiki takes a closer look at the hairstyle and confirms her earlier idea about the hairstyle. The low lighting conceals the fact that the hair color is not the same and Ranma just rolls his eyes.

"Are you blind?"

"No, and that doesn't look like Akane to me. Why would my sister be wearing an Amazon hair style?" Nabiki moved the bokken a little closer to Ranma's face and looked at him menacingly.

All of the talking and movement by Ranma stirs the sleeping Akane... who sleepy says something out loud.

"Mmm... Wo Ai Ni..."

Nabiki is about ready to kill Ranma at this point. "I knew it was Shampoo!"

"Damn it, this isn't Shampoo!" Ranma said loudly. "Akane, wake up!"

Akane rubs her eyes and looks at her sister with a blank expression, wondering what's going on. It's not everyday that she looks ready to kill Ranma and has a bokken in his face.

"Nabiki, what are you doing?"

Nabiki turns red with embarrassment. "Oh, Akane... it's you. I thought... well, that you were Shampoo for a second..."

Akane looks at Ranma for a moment and then back at her sister. "Looks like you got Ranma going here... can't you recognize your own sister?" Akane gets out of the futon and walks over to her sister.

"Look, I'm not the one who came up with this whole plan for you to learn Amazon techniques... but it looks like your joke worked pretty good..." Nabiki said with a smile.

"Huh?" Was about all Ranma could manage to say. 'What are they talking about?'

Akane is the next one to speak. "Sorry, Ranma... Nabiki knew about this all along. We were just playing a joke on you..."

"Akane, I umm..." Ranma is surprised about what Akane said. He's not angry per se, just a little miffed about being the victim of two jokes within the last half hour. "Well, umm... Nabiki's performance was good... I think that 'Wo Ai Ni' was the thing that sent her over the edge..."

Nabiki nods her head. "Yep, it was. You thought I couldn't recognize my own sister... shame on you, Ranma. I know you wouldn't play around with other girls... everyone knows how much you two are in love..."

Ranma and Akane both go red in the face. As usual, Nabiki had the perfect words for causing the two of them to go totally silent and red in the face. Akane decides to speak but changes the subject.

"Umm... sis, do you think the outfit looks good on me?"

Nabiki nods her head. "Yep. Looks like the same one Shampoo favors... deep burgundy color... gold trim and all the little embroidery. I'm surprised she gave you one of her favorite outfits, especially after what happened between you two with that fight..."

Ranma nods his head and realizes that what Nabiki is saying is totally right. He really hadn't seen Shampoo since the five girls teamed up to get revenge on Happosai. Based on how she acted before, Ranma was surprised at the apparent change in the young woman. 'Maybe that fight with Mousse changed something...' Ranma's thoughts would be confirmed a moment later as Akane speaks.

"Well, Cologne asked her something after Mousse won that fight. She asked her to try and be friends with me, you, and the other former fiancees... since Shampoo did want to stay here in Japan and not return back to China. I was kinda hesitant to go over there... but after Ranma and I talked about that glomp of hers... I had to find out what it was really for. I think we should invite all of them over for dinner... then you can see how much she's changed. She probably realized that Ranma helped Mousse get that idea for his tickle technique... which showed that Ranma still cared about her... as a friend."

Nabiki watches Ranma stands up and then nudges him in the ribs. "Awww... that's so nice of you, Ranma..."

Turning towards Akane, Nabiki decides to tease Akane as well. Flipping what little there was of Akane's skirt, Nabiki couldn't help but comment... "Looks like you got the whole outfit down... panties and all..."

"Nabiki!" Akane said as she quickly pushed her skirt down again. A trickle of blood hangs from Ranma's nose- Akane wasn't quick enough to prevent Ranma's trained eyes from seeing the white lace panties that Akane happened to be wearing.

Nabiki notices Ranma's reaction and continues her "fun"...

"What's the problem, sis? Ranma here seems to like your choice in..."

Nabiki's words are cut off by a divinely timed hold from Kuno. His arms wrap around Nabiki's stomach, causing her to blush and stop speaking.

"Our training is not finished, Nabiki Tendo..."

Ranma decides to speak up after wiping the blood off his nose. "So, Kuno... how's Nabiki's kendo practice coming along?"

Kuno moves his head and then sees Ranma standing next to Akane. He is taken aback for a moment by Akane's appearance.

"Oh, it is Akane and Ranma. I did not know that you were here... but to answer your question, she is learning very quickly. The only problem I can see is the fact that she takes long breaks..." Kuno emphasized the last word and found Nabiki staring at him a moment later.

"It wasn't my fault, Akane asked me to do this..." Nabiki said as she tried to save face. She breathes a sigh of relief a moment later when Kuno asks Akane a question.

"Is this true, Akane?"

Akane nods her head. "Yeah... I'm sorry I interrupted your training... but I needed her help to play a little joke on Ranma..."

"Well, if that is the case, then it was truly a worthwhile endeavor..." Kuno said with a laugh. Ranma just rolled his eyes...

"What is this, everybody pick on Ranma day?" Ranma said, exasperated with the situation. Akane looked at her fianc e/husband and smiled at him.

"Oh, come on Ranma... it was all in good fun..." Akane said as she gently squeezed Ranma's right hand. Ranma returned the gesture and gently motioned Akane towards the door. As the pair walk past Nabiki and Kuno, Nabiki tries to prevent them from getting away...

"Leaving so soon? But we were having so much fun!"

"Sorry, but Akane and I gotta talk to my mom... and don't you have some more training to finish?" Ranma said that last part with a grin as he escapes with Akane. Nabiki wanted to get Ranma for that... but is prevented from doing so by Kuno.

"Let them go... you asked me to teach you this art, did you not?"

Nabiki twists herself around and is now face to face with Kuno. He cannot help but take a glance down at the magnificent gi that he had purchased for Nabiki... he even had in embroidered with her name. Nabiki notices what Kuno is doing and sighs. 'He went through all of this trouble for me... this is a nice workout outfit... I guess I'd better tell him...'

Nabiki clears her throat and Kuno returns his gaze back to her face. "Look, Kuno... I'm not trying to get out of training... it's just..."

"Go on" Kuno said, wanting to hear more.

"You're treating me like a martial artist. I'm not like Akane... I haven't done any formal training like this for a long time and I'm not used to it..." Nabiki switched over to a more "persuasive" tone of voice to get her next point across. "Could we cut down the training time a little... at least until I'm used to it..."

Nabiki pulls Kuno into an intimate hug and gently rubs her chest against his. "Please, Kuno-baby? I'd be so grateful..."

Since his mind is on overload from what his girlfriend is doing, all Kuno can manage to mumble is a "Sure"...

"Mmm... good..." Nabiki said as she put her head against his chest. After about two minutes of silence, Kuno speaks...

"You and I still have to finish today's lesson, fair Nabiki..."

Nabiki snaps her fingers. "Damn!"

"I know you too well..." Kuno chuckled and then lead Nabiki out to the dojo. On their way out, they pass by the room where Akane and Ranma are talking to Soun, Genma, and Nodoka. All five stop talking and glance at the couple as they walk by...

"Well, it looks like you may need to buy two wedding rings soon, Tendo..." Genma said with a laugh.

"You may be right..." Soun said as he glanced over at the other couple in the room, Akane and Ranma.

"Father, stop giving us the 'look', okay?" Akane knew that look and knew it meant that her father was up to no good. Nodoka speaks and tries to divert attention back to what just happened.

"It looks like your middle daughter is taking a genuine interest in martial arts... and also in that young man..."

Ranma looks at Akane and she nods. Both silently acknowledge to the other that they had a big hand in setting those two up... things have been a lot different since that happened.

"That's true... I know my wife would have been proud of how all of her daughters turned out... especially Akane..."

Akane blushes as a result of her fathers heart-felt comment about her and her sisters. She hugs her father and he whispers something in her ear. Tears run down Akane's face as she continues to embrace her dad...

"Thank you... I love you too..." Akane gently pulls away and sits back down next to Ranma... who gently pulls her next to him. Nodoka smiles as she watches Akane snuggle up to her son. 'He's really becoming a man here... the way he's been treating her since that fight has been exemplary... he's learning how to show Akane that he does love her...'

Genma is also proud of his son... he's been working with his wife ever since she returned... and no longer fears getting disemboweled. 'I still can't get her angry, though... she still has that sword...'

Genma turns and looks at his wife and then at Soun. "I think it's time to send those two out on a little training journey..."

Akane and Ranma both look at Genma with a confused expression. Soun and Nodoka, however, nod their heads in agreement.

"After hearing Shampoo's report on that demonstration by Akane and Ranma, I can see that they've already got the Amazon techniques in their memories and it shouldn't be too hard to make an original addition for the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts... and Ranma here has proposed a good idea as well. The two go well together..." Soun looked at the now blushing couple and could see that despite the nervousness, they were willing to do this and confirm that they would be the heirs to the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.

"I agree... we may need to make a special class just for these moves... a 'Marital Arts' course, perhaps?"

Nodoka chuckled at the thought. She had just mentally pictured the two using the moves on each other in the future, trying to get the other to calm down...

Ranma decides to get his mom off of the "marriage" thought train by asking a very good question.

"What do you mean by journey? Do you want Akane and me to go on some training trip or something?"

"Yes. You two will have one week to perfect your moves and then show us the final product..." Soun said as he grabbed a nearby notepad and started jotting down a list of things that they would need.

Ranma turns and looks at Akane. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Look, Ranma... I don't think it'll be that bad." Akane narrowed her eyes. "I thought you'd want to spend more time with me..."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that!" Ranma waved his hands in the air in attempt to prevent a fight with Akane.

"Umm... it could be fun..."

Genma gets up and playfully slaps Ranma in the back. "That's my boy..." Ranma rolls his eyes and then points at Genma.

"Mom, this is the reason why I'm so messed up..."

"I understand..." Nodoka said as she looked at her husband. Genma immediately goes on the defensive and says the only thing he can in this situation.

"Hey!"

As Ranma begins to argue with Genma, Akane steps away and sits down next to Soun. She looks over at the notepad and scans the list of items...

"Father, what time tomorrow are we supposed to leave?"

"Hmm... let's see... it'd be best to leave at sunrise"

"That early? We have to pack and gather all of this equipment..." Akane sighs aloud, knowing that it'll take over ninety minutes to pack, at the minimum.

Nodoka stands up and excuses herself and heads down to the kitchen to help Kasumi make dinner. Over in the Tendo dojo, Kuno and Nabiki are on the final exercise of the day.

"Show me your best attack..." Kuno said as he draws his bokken to a defensive position.

"Fine..." Nabiki said as she prepared to attack. 'Here goes nothing... I hope that this new trick of mine works...'

"You asked for it... here's my new attack, I call it 'Raining Money'..." Nabiki prepared to demonstrate her move. One reason that she had been tired lately is that she had been secretly practicing in her room, trying to come up with something new and different to use against Kuno. After throwing a bunch of bills up in the air in frustration, figurative lightning struck Nabiki's head... and the "Raining Money" attack was born...

"I knew that any move you had would have a tie in to money..." Kuno said with a smile. "Now show me this move..."

Kuno is caught off guard a moment later by the suddenness of Nabiki's attack. He is forced to move backwards as Nabiki attacks with rapid movements of her bokken- it is like his main attack but yet very different. The sound of wood on wood is heard as what appears to be rapid, random stabs with Nabiki's bokken are being deflected by Kuno.

"Impressive..." The sound of ripping is heard a moment later. Kuno looks down and notices several holes in his shirt. "Very impressive... you must have been practicing on your own..."

"Yep. I've been working on my speed... I may not be as fast as you are but it looks like I scored a few hits..." Nabiki says proudly. Kuno is about to initiate a return attack when Nabiki yells out something...

"Raining Coins!"

Kuno's shirt is ripped even more by the sudden extended strikes of Nabiki's bokken. He had been distracted momentarily by Nabiki's last comment and does not get his bokken up in time. He silently curses at himself for being inattentive and then begins to dodge her attack. After about thirty seconds of dodging, Nabiki begins to feel her arms giving out... 'Damn it! I was doing so good, too...' Kuno decides to take the initiative and calls for a short break.

"I will let you catch your breath..." Kuno said as he sits down on the floor of the dojo. Nabiki sits down and tries to catch her breath while Kuno uses this break time to think about what just happened and how to counter it. 'Her moves must be based on striking falling bills and coins in the air... that would account for her rapid, yet random stabs at me...' Kuno looks down at his shirt and realizes that it is now no good. Numerous tears testify to the blows that Nabiki managed to score against him. Without a second thought, Kuno takes off his shirt and throws it off to the side.

Nabiki stands up and looks at her boyfriend. "Kuno, what are you doing?"

"That shirt is no longer viable. I would like to try and copy those new moves of yours... if you are up to the task of being on the defense..." Kuno stands up and looks confidently at Nabiki, who responds as Kuno knew she would- her pride wouldn't allow her to do otherwise.

"Sure... but I wouldn't expect to get it right on the first try. Only Ranma can learn something that quickly..." Nabiki decided to try and get Kuno going as well.

"We shall see in a moment..." With that, Kuno charged forward and did his best to imitate what he had just faced. Although he didn't get the two moves right, his attacks still forced Nabiki to the wall as she continued her defensive strikes.

"This is what a true fight may be like, Nabiki Tendo..."

"Yeah..." Nabiki tried to push Kuno away so she could maneuver around but is unable to do so. Kuno switches over to his normal rapid strike maneuver and attacks again. Bits of cloth fill the air before a startled Nabiki's eyes... she looks down and sighs. Kuno has cut her name into the fabric of the gi...

"You know this gi is no good now..." Nabiki said as she tugged on the now hole-filled gi.

"I will bring over a spare tomorrow... I had two made in case something happened to one of them..."

"Well, that's good..." Nabiki pauses to think. 'I think he just wanted to get me back for ruining his shirt. Hmm... maybe I should do the same thing he did after his shirt got ruined.'

"Oh Kuno-baby..."

"Yes?"

Nabiki pulls on the cords and takes off the top part of the gi and sends it flying into Kuno's face...

"I'm just giving you your gi back..."

Kuno pushes the garment off of his face and then his jaw nearly drops to the ground. His girlfriend, his goddess, is standing right in front of him... with no top on. Nabiki happens to be wearing one of the bras that she had bought on a shopping trip with Akane a while back. 'Now I get to see if he really likes what I'm wearing and if he'll compliment me... just like in my dreams...'

"What do you think?" Nabiki said as she bent over slightly and winked, giving the stunned kendoist a better view of her abundant cleavage. "I think white lace looks nice on me..."

"It does... you are truly beautiful..." Kuno said dreamily.

"Thank you, Kuno..." Nabiki moved forward and hugged Kuno, who tilts his head down and looks at Nabiki. "Am I dreaming?" is about all he can say.

"No... that's really me... you can be so silly sometimes, Kuno-baby..." Nabiki wraps her arms around Kuno again and holds onto him tightly. He slowly does the same thing as he finally returns to reality...

"I believe that is enough training for today..."

Nabiki replied softly. "I think you're right..."

The two silently hold one another for a few minutes, enjoying this new found intimacy. It seemed it Kuno's eyes that Nabiki was getting more attractive everyday that they spent together. Starting with the simple things, their relationship began and soon bloomed into something more then friendship. 'There's a certain charm with this woman... I think I'm finally begin to see it. I like this side of her personality...'

Nabiki begins to blush as she thinks to herself. 'This feels nice... I'm glad I explored this part of my personality. For the first time in my life... I have something that's important besides money. He's a nice guy... I'm glad Ukyo knocked some sense into him...'

About a minute later, Kuno realizes that they could be in danger with their current state of (un)dress and brings this fact to his girlfriend's attention.

"I believe that we are in a dangerous situation here..."

"Why do you say that, Kuno?" Nabiki said as tried to figure what Kuno meant. A gentle knocking on the door brought the correct idea to her head with lightning fast speed. 'The door could open any second... who knows what'll happen if they catch us like this...'

Faced with a possibility of great embarrassment and endless lectures, Nabiki decides to take quick action.

'Sorry, Kuno-baby... but this is for both of us...'

Kuno notices a worried look on Nabiki's face but before he can ask her anything, she reaches for the nearest bokken and hits Kuno with the flat of the blade, knocking him out. A moment later, the door opens and Nodoka and Soun step into the dojo. What they see takes them by surprise...

"What's going on here?" Soun said as he looked at the two shredded tops on the ground. Nodoka notices the unconscious Kuno and asks another question.

"What happened to your boyfriend..." Nodoka looked up and notices Nabiki's state of (un)dress. "What were you two doing in here?"

"I would like to know that as well..." Soun said as he catches a glimpse of his daughters lack of clothing. He immediately starts to make certain assumptions and prepares to tag-team lecture his daughter with Nodoka when she starts to speak...

"Well, Kuno and I were practicing our kendo in here when the training got a little intense and we shredded each others tops... that was right before you came in. I decided to hit him for exposing my body like that... I didn't mean to knock him out..." Nabiki added a little pout at the end to show her sincerity and waited the long seconds that would decide her fate...

"I think you did the right thing, it's not proper to tear up a lady's clothes..." Nodoka spoke first and Nabiki nods her head after the comment.

"I agree, thank you Auntie Nodoka..." Nabiki now looked at her father and prepared herself for his answer.

"Well, since it was an accident during training, I guess I can't say anything... but please, cover up..." Soun turned his now red face away from his daughter.

Nabiki reaches down and grabs her shredded top and throws it back on. 'I guess this will have to do until I get back to my room. One question still bothers her, though. "By the way, what brings you two over here?"

"Oh umm... we were just curious about your training... and wanted to let you know that dinner is ready..."

Nodoka quickly nods her head in response... too quickly for Nabiki's tastes. 'I wonder... if they were gonna spy on us? Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter now... they bought my story. Now all I gotta do is drag Kuno back to my room...'

"Sounds good... but could I get a hand carrying Kuno back into the house?"

Soun immediately offers to help his daughter and both carry Kuno inside. Nabiki quickly offers the excuse of wanting to "talk" to Kuno some more as a reason for dropping him off in her room. After her father leaves, Nabiki quickly sheds the torn gi and throws on a regular T-shirt and pants and heads down to dinner. Nabiki is quickly brought up to pace with Ranma and Akane's new journey details by Genma, who cannot help but talk about it at the dinner table, much to Ranma and Akane's chagrin...

End Part B 


	22. Chapter 22: Workout Part C

Start Part C

"I bet you can't wait, Ranma my boy... one week ALONE with Akane here..."

"Now Genma, don't tease Ranma and Akane like that... this is a serious journey..." Nodoka chided her husband.

"I'm sure both will be on their BEST behavior..."

Nabiki couldn't resist the opportunity that had just presented itself. "Looks like the two lovebirds won't be having too much fun then..."

Ranma and Akane blush and turn their faces off to the side. This was too much attention at once... everyone had some kind of comment for them... except Soun and Kasumi. Kasumi diverts the conversation to something else...

"Nabiki, I could have sworn that I saw your favorite gi in the garbage can... what happened to it?"

"Oh, that... Kuno shredded that during our training earlier... I had to smack him for that..."

Akane's eyebrows go up as Kasumi holds up the torn gi. She notices Nabiki's name carved into it and the simple fact that little would be left to the imagination if someone was wearing that. Akane mentally pictures Kuno getting slapped for that and chuckles to herself. Nabiki and Ranma notice this but Nabiki is the first one to ask why she's chuckling...

"I was just picturing you getting angry at Kuno, that's all..."

"Looks like you and Kuno are getting into some intense training there... your shredding each others clothes... what's next?" Ranma said. "Maybe..."

Ranma's next words are cut off by a notebook being slid across the table. Kasumi smiles and explains what's in it as Ranma cautiously picks it up and starts reading it... Akane looks over at the contents as well.

"I made a little list of things for you two to take with... and a basic menu layout for the trip. I made the breakfasts easy to make... Akane should have no problem making those by herself..."

Despite Akane's recent improvements in cooking, Ranma still couldn't resist giving her a glance... for which he received a look back... along with a mallet hit.

"Now, now... no fighting at the dinner table..." Soun looked at Akane, who was trying to calm herself down.

"Akane... I'm sure Ranma realizes that you've been working hard on your cooking skill lately..." Soun turns and looks at the dizzy Ranma. "RIGHT, Ranma?"

"Umm... yeah... sure..." Ranma woozily replied. 'Damn it... can't she take a joke? I'd better not joke about that then... unless I wanna get smacked by that mallet again...'

"It must be love..." Nabiki cheerfully chimed in.

Nodoka and Genma both shake their heads and then look at Ranma. Just like Akane, there were times that he did not keep his mouth shut... but both were a lot better since the final resolution of the fianc e battle. Every couple had fights... some were more "physical" then others... but now the two had an understanding. This idea was clearly affirmed a moment later by Ranma's actions...

"Umm... Akane... I um... I'm sorry..." Ranma said as he put a hand on her shoulder. Had this been a few months ago, Ranma would have gotten malleted for violating Akane's personal space. Ranma received a different kind of reaction a moment later... a small squeeze of his hand by Akane.

"Do you mean that?" Akane asked sincerely.

Ranma turned and looked into her eyes. All the adults at the table turn and look at the couple... ready to witness a very touching moment... hopefully.

"O-of course... I umm... would love for you to make breakfast everyday of our trip..." Ranma starts to sweat as Akane moves closer and closer...

"Good... I'll hold you to your word..." With that, Akane hugged Ranma and he quickly hugged her back... fighting off the urge to avoid being affectionate in front of people. Terms like "Awwwww" and "How cute" fill the air as the two quietly return to eating dinner. Much to their surprise, Nabiki is silent. Despite her constant teasing of her sister and Ranma, she had grown to respect the two a little bit more- both had made major strides in their relationship in the past few months. Her own relationship with Kuno had moved forward rapidly as well... 'He's already seen me in one of my fancy bras... I didn't think we'd be this far already...'

As Genma, Soun, and Nodoka engage in conversation with Ranma and Akane, Kasumi notices that her other sister is deep in thought.

"Are you okay, Nabiki?"

A startled Nabiki replies a moment later. "Huh, what? Oh... it's nothing. I was just thinking..."

"About Kuno?" Kasumi innocently replied. A slightly startled Nabiki responds a moment later.

"No... well, maybe..."

"Are you thinking about what happened earlier in the dojo?"

"Well, yeah... I actually got him with a move I came up with... but he was able to attack me back so easily... and then he got to see me..." Nabiki blushes slightly before continuing. "See me without a shirt on..."

Kasumi blushes as well- her sister was in quite an embarrassing situation earlier. "Oh my..." Nabiki knew that response was coming but is surprised to quickly hear more words from her sister a moment later.

"You shouldn t worry too much about how Kuno responded... he has had a lot more training then you have and has been doing kendo for a longer time then you... but you did manage to surprise him, right?"

Nabiki nods her head. "Yeah, I did..."

"Well... that shows that you are really picking up on the skill..." Kasumi smiled and suddenly Nabiki felt a lot better.

"Thanks, sis..." Nabiki pushed her empty plate forward slightly. "I'm done... thanks for talking with me..."

"Anytime, Nabiki..." Kasumi said as she watched Nabiki get up and excuse herself from the dinner table. Kasumi gathers up the finished dishes and starts humming a happy tune as she brings them over to the kitchen. She s happy with the events that just took place... Nabiki was actually having a deep, serious conversation with her and then THANKED her for the advice. 'Maybe Kuno has changed my sister... for the better...'

Kasumi returns to the dinner table a few minutes later and is invited into the conversation that is taking place. Meanwhile, up in Nabiki's room, Nabiki is trying to awaken her "guest"...

"Wake up, Kuno-baby..." Nabiki said as she shook the unconscious body of her boyfriend. After about 20 seconds of shaking, she stops and tries to think of a new approach to the problem. 'Hmmm... what would get him excited in an instant...' Nabiki snaps her fingers a moment later as the perfect idea comes to mind.

Stooping down, Nabiki prepares to execute her new plan. In a whisper, she speaks a few enticing words... which immediately cause Kuno to stand erect on the bed.

"OF COURSE! Turn around and I will help thee remove that garment..."

"SHHHH! Keep it down!" Nabiki urgently said a moment later, being afraid of attracting undue attention to her room and the current visitor in it.

Kuno looks around the room and soon realizes where he is... problem is, he doesn't remember how he got there...

"How did I end up in your bedroom? I do not recall anything after that gentle knocking on the dojo door..."

"Umm... well... Kuno..." Nabiki paused to try and find the right words to say. "I had to knock you out..."

"Oh..." was about all the kendoist could manage to say. He looked over at his girlfriend and could see the very distressed expression on her face, indicating to him that she did not mean to do it.

"Ah... I think I know why you hit me... was someone about to come in?"

Nabiki nods her head. "Yes... it ended up being my father and Ranma's mom... another second or two and who knows what could have happened..."

"I see..." Kuno lookes over at Nabiki for a moment and then puts his left arm around her. Nabiki's warm smile a moment later confirms that he has indeed cheered her up. "Thank you... for saving us both... I do not want you to get into any trouble over me..."

"Oh... it's no problem..." Nabiki said as she placed her left hand on top of his. "In fact, I was just thinking that..." Nabiki blushes and stops speaking... which gets Kuno very curious about what she was about to say.

"Go on... I would like to hear your idea..." Kuno said as he tried to encourage Nabiki to speak her mind.

With some trepidation, Nabiki continues. "I was thinking that maybe you could... spend the night here with me..." With that, Nabiki turns her face to the side so Kuno cannot see the crimson hue now present all over it. Part of her cannot believe that she just spoke those words... and part of her is happy that she is finally expressing her own feelings- now that she has someone to express those intimate feelings to.

Kuno is silent for a moment. Her words were definitely most unexpected... but conveyed a genuine idea. He knew that she was serious about this... and that it took a lot of courage for her to say that. He decides to convey his response to her idea with a non-verbal gesture- a gentle squeezing of her hand.

"Really?" Nabiki turned her face and looked at Kuno again. He simply nods his head and she smiles back at him.

"Great! I was kinda nervous about asking you that... but I guess the worst part is over..."

Though happy about the current situation, Kuno realizes that a situation still could develop. "What if someone comes into your room and sees us together..."

"Well, I could always say that you never woke up..." Nabiki lowered her voice. "And that I fell asleep while caring for you..."

"As long as the position is right... that sounds like a reasonable idea..."

"Good. You stay exactly as you are... while I get ready for bed..."

Kuno silently watches as Nabiki gets up and walks over to one of her drawers. She pulls out her green pajamas and then turns around and sternly looks at Kuno.

"I'm going to change... NO PEEKING, okay?"

"Yes, yes..." Kuno said as he closed his eyes. 'I must not look at her while she's changing... despite how much I would like to gaze upon her beautiful form again. Maybe if I think about how she looked earlier...'

As Nabiki removes her shirt, Kuno starts thinking about how she looked without her shirt on earlier. A smile forms on his face... which Nabiki notices after throwing her shirt into the dirty clothes bin. 'He must be thinking about me... but I should test him...' With a wicked idea now in place, Nabiki decides to test her boyfriends resolve.

"Damn! My bra won't come off... that last hook is stuck..." Nabiki pretends to struggle with her bra as Kuno starts to sweat and shake. Temptation is starting to rear its head in Kuno's mind... every second that passes only makes it worse...

"There we go... I feel so much better now that my bra is OFF..." Nabiki said, accenting the last word of her statement. That was the last straw for Kuno... his self control had reached its limit and he opens his eyes, expecting to see a totally topless Nabiki... but instead finds a bra-clad Nabiki wagging her finger at him and sporting a disappointed look on her face.

"Shame on you Kuno... you fell for that one hook, line, and sinker... do you really want to look at me that badly?"

"Yes... I mean no... I mean..." Kuno nervous fidgeting in place as he responded to Nabiki. He felt guilty about giving in... but he did genuinely want to see more of this very attractive woman that had come into his life recently and given him a new purpose... a new meaning to life.

"I am truly sorry... I gave into my desires..." Kuno bowed his head low, indicating to Nabiki that he was sincere about his words.

"Kuno... I'm not really mad... but I don't wanna rush things. I can tell you umm... want to see more of me... and you will... once we're both ready, okay?"

Impressed with her simple but powerful words about their relationship, Kuno simply nods his head in agreement and closes his eyes again. After waiting about ten seconds, Nabiki is satisfied that he won't peek again. She quickly removes her bra and pants and changes into her pajamas and turns off the light. Kuno feels like she is taking forever... until he feels a gentle tap on his shoulder.

"Okay... I'm done"

Kuno turns his head and finds that Nabiki is lying on top of the covers on the bed next to him. Despite the lack of light in the room, the urge to look at Nabiki is ever present in his mind. She falls asleep right away and he takes some time to reflect upon the days' events. As he thinks about all that's happened, he runs his fingers thru her hair. 'She has soft hair... and she truly smells wonderful...'

A few minutes later, Kuno notices that Nabiki is shivering. Not wanting his love to be cold, he gently pulls the blanket out from under her and then places it over the both of them. Nabiki instantly feels a lot better and snuggles next to Kuno. The two spend the night together and forget about the danger that they're in...

Around 3 A.M. the next morning, the alarm clock in Nabiki's room goes off- the brunette quickly turns it off and grins. 'Time to go to work- I hope they left their backpacks in the hallway like I saw earlier. I'm lucky Kasumi just did a new load of laundry... I can grab what I need off of the line...'

After taking a quick look at the sleeping Kuno, Nabiki gets something out of her drawer and quietly heads off on her mission. The brunette slips a small box inside Ranma's backpack and then tip-toes outside where she finds her quarry on the clothesline.

'You'll thank me for this Akane... I already know about him getting to see some of this stuff you picked up...'

After taking a quick look around, Nabiki starts grabbing what she needs, making sure to pick the most provacative items her sister had picked up. She quickly heads back upstairs and switches out the garments in question, bringing the regular versions into her room.

'They should be fine here on top of the counter, Ranma and Akane are leaving soon and they aren't coming in here...'

A small yawn escapes Nabiki's lips. 'Guess I better get in a few hours more of sleep while I still can...'

The middle Tendo sister slips back into bed, appreciating the warmth of her boyfriend's body against hers.

Around 2 1/2 hours later, Kasumi knocks and gets no answer for the breakfast call. After trying again twice, she hesitantly opens the door and finds Nabiki and Kuno in bed, snuggled next to each other under the blanket.

"Oh my..." Was about all Kasumi could say after what she had just seen. She quietly closes the door behind her and goes red in the face. After taking a deep breath, she heads downstairs. When Kasumi sits down at the table and starts to eat her breakfast, Soun is the first to notice his daughter's red face...

"Kasumi, are you all right? You look a little red in the face..."

"Well, you see father... I..." Kasumi's face turns even redder at the thought of what she had just seen upstairs. "I'm okay... I thought I saw something... but it has to be my imagination..."

"So you're okay?" Soun answered, worried that if Kasumi got sick that he may go hungry again.

"What did you see, sis?" Akane asked, curious about what her sister was talking about.

Ranma quickly chimes in. "Yeah, it might not have been your imagination... look at all of the weird things that happen around here. Curses, ghosts, demons, oniis, perverted little one foot freaks..."

Soun and Genma chuckle at the obvious reference to Happosai and are glad that he's currently not around.

Kasumi decides that what Ranma said is right and starts to talk about what happened.

"I just thought I saw..."

"By any chance are the bathing facilities located near here?" A voice said from the stairs.

All eyes turned towards Tatawaki Kuno who had a mostly asleep Nabiki leaning against him.

For several long moments, not a word was said, then Soun started to cry, and then Nodoka began to shout out happily. "Oh! Soun you must be so proud! Such a manly man has just bedded your daughter and now you re going to have grandkids!" She then paused in her celebration not noticing that no one was celebrating with her. "Ranma... why can't you be more like Mr. Kuno here and give me some grandchildren too!"

Although Nabiki had been mostly asleep, when she heard Nodoka's ranting she became wide awake faster than any tea or coffee had been able to. "What the..."

"HOW DARE YOU!" Soun yelled and instantly his demon head technique was in full bloom and now Soun stood towering over Kuno. "HOW DARE YOU MOLEST MY INNOCENT YOUNG BABY LIKE THAT YOU MONSTER!"

Kuno was lost... so very lost. He had not a clue what had happened. He recalled being struck in the head... and the he woke up in the same bed as Nabiki and now they were saying that he had molested her?

DADDY! Nothing happened!"

"But we caught you and Kuno topless yesterday!"

"T-t-t-op-less..." Ranma sputtered.

"It's no big deal daddy."

"NO BIG DEAL!"

"YAY! Oh Soun, obviously this man has been able to not only bed your daughter, but he seems to have worn her out and wishes to bathe her!"

"MOM!" Shouted Ranma.

Nabiki blushes a very bright red as Nodoka continued in her rant. Just the thought of doing -that- with him was while interesting, she didn t think that she was ready for that. Let alone being ready for marriage or being a mother.

Not noticing Nabiki blush, Nodoka looks at her son and Akane. "These two aren't even living in the same room and they're already taking that next step... maybe you should take a lesson from them"

Genma suddenly realized what a golden opportunity this was. "She's right... growf... growl... " Genma suddenly stopped trying to talk as he was now a panda. Standing across the table was Akane with her left eye twitching.

Ranma rolls his eyes- the thought of sleeping in Akane's room may have been scary in the past but these days it's enjoyable- and things aren't spiraling out of control because of it, either.

"Idiots..." Akane muttered.

"Thank you..." Kuno said and then looked at Soun. "My dear sir... I would not nor would I ever force myself onto your daughter. I believe this is merely a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding!" Soun shouted.

"Yes -Daddy-!" Nabiki said with enough force to cause the demon head to be reduced to nothing. "Nothing happened, N-O-T-H-I-N-G! After our sparring session I knocked him out and while he was out cold... I guess I fell asleep too."

"So... nothing happened?" Asked Soun relieved and Nodoka sadly.

"Nothing at all..." Nabiki said, reaffirming what she just said.

WAHHH! That means there ll be no children for me to spoil!" Nodoka cried out causing Nabiki and Kuno to blink-blink.

"Ranma..."

"Yea Akane?"

"Are you sure that having your mom stay here was a good idea?"

"Umm..." Is about all Ranma can manage to say. He really wanted to be with his mother... but didn't realize that this would happen.

"Oh my Auntie... but Nabiki and Kuno are not even married yet. Wouldn't it look bad for her to be pregnant without being wed first?" Kasumi said, bringing attention back to subject at hand.

Nodoka thought about it and deflated for a moment and Soun breathed a sigh of relief. And all was quiet at the table for about 3.5 seconds.

"I know! We can arrange a wedding! I know... we'll do a double wedding! We can marry Nabiki to Kuno here, and then Ranma to Akane!"

'And I thought it'd get better with my mom here... it seems to be getting worse...' Ranma thought to himself as he thought about the marriage idea. Akane is thinking something similar... she had thought that Nodoka was going to add some sanity to the house.

"Look, I'm not getting married! Kuno and I have only been going out for a short time..." Nabiki said as she tried to hold back her frustration. 'This is getting old fast...'

Akane decides to save her sister... she knows how it feels to be "under the gun" like this...

"Hey dad, did you happen to find all the extra equipment that Ranma and I need for our trip? We've already got our clothes ready"

"After breakfast, I'll go through the list and make sure that you two have everything for your trip and then you can go. Be sure to check in with us at least once a day with your cell phone..."

Genma, back to his human form again, is the next one to comment on this new topic. "I bet you can't wait, right Ranma..." Genma nudges his son and Ranma laughs nervously. Akane rolls her eyes, Nodoka looks like she ready to burst with pride about her manly son. Soun looks like he is torn between weeping in joy about the trip and weeping over his daughter leaving for a week.

'I never realized it was this bad for those two...' Nabiki thinks to herself.

'Verily, there must be something wrong with these people...' Kuno thinks as he observes the situation.

Kuno leans over and whispers to Nabiki. "Tell me truly... doth this type of thing happen often here?"

Nabiki just blinked and then sighed sadly. "Kuno-baby... it's usually worse than this."

Kuno just blinked and looked at the various family members. "I do think that I owe Saotome an apology... I never knew that he or Akane had to endure this."

"Look, Kuno-baby, maybe we should get out of here..."

"That... sounds like a perfect idea... shall we get breakfast elsewhere?"

"Of course, your treat though."

"Indeed..." he said and gave her a slight smile as the two of them snuck out the door while Akane and Ranma were the center of attention.

Akane watched her sister leave and sighed inwardly, 'The things I do for my family...'

"Eat up, son... we have a lot to do before you leave..." Nodoka said with a smile. All Ranma can do is sigh and finish his food while Soun makes a map to show Ranma and Akane how to get to this "perfect" location that Nodoka had mentioned earlier. A little while later, Nabiki and Kuno return and daringly join the conversation at the table again...

"That was so nice of you to buy Ranma and Akane presents..." Kasumi says with a smile after hearing that. Inside she is very happy with her little sister... this change in her sister's personality was something that she really liked to see...

"Really? You got us presents?" Akane said happily.

"Mmmhmm. Just don't look until you get there, okay?" Nabiki said with a slight grin.

"When are you leaving on your journey?" Kuno asks.

Ranma is about to answer when his mother speaks up and answers for him. "They're leaving shortly. I bet my son can't wait to be alone with his fianc e..."

Kuno's posture suddenly stiffens upon hearing that voice. 'Not her...' he thought and began frantically trying to think of an excuse to get himself... as well as Nabiki out of her presence.

"Speaking of lunch, I think I should start cooking it so I can get to the rest of my morning chires" Kasumi said as she headed over to the kitchen.

Sensing an opportunity, Kuno decides to strike...

"Perhaps I can be of assistance... and I am sure that Nabiki would like to help as well..." Kuno said as he started to drag Nabiki towards the kitchen.

"Oh he's so manly... he's already taking care of her..." Nodoka chimed as she comments on what she just seen.

Nabiki and Kuno cringe as they hear this... they were -that- close to the kitchen and freedom. Once they are safely inside, Kuno takes Nabiki aside and whispers in her ear.

"How much longer will you and I take this?"

"Look... maybe we should spend more time at your place from now on..." Nabiki whispered back. It was the obvious solution... and the benefits far outweighed the possible comments and lectures. Just like Akane and Ranma, Nabiki needed time to work on her relationship with Kuno.

With three pair of hands working in the kitchen, it isn't very long before lunch is prepped and Kasumi is free to pursue other things. Kuno and Nabiki tell Akane and Ranma to have a nice trip before making a hasty exit to a nearby park...

Akane and Ranma each take a flask full of the freshly prepared soup and head upstairs. After one final check of their belongings, the pair "saddle up" and head downstairs... and noting that this mornings' madness was beginning to get to both of them and this trip was looking better and better each second.

"Umm... are you ready, Akane?" Ranma said, hoping that Akane would understand what he really meant. Akane nods her head.

"Sure Ranma... let's get our packs and get going!"

Nodoka just smiled at her son and his fianc e. "Take care you two! And Ranma please don t be too manly and cause Akane too much pain."

Ranma takes Akane's hand. "Come on, let's go"

Akane waves and says goodbye, Ranma follows suit and the two make their escape...

Once four of the five children are gone, Nodoka turns to Soun. "Oh, Mr. Tendo... since Akane and Nabiki have obviously found the men for them, when will Kasumi find a strong man?"

Soun blanches at that thought... loosing all his girls... "WAHHH! MY Baby girls are growing up!"

"Honestly..." Nodoka says with a sigh before turning to her husband. He gives her a look, causing her to grab his arm. "I believe that you and I have ten years to catch up on..."

Genma gulps and nods his head.

Turning to Soun, Nodoka smiles. "Mr. Tendo, my husband and I thank you for your hospitality, but would you inform Kasumi that neither of us will be down for lunch."

"Oh.. and why's that?" Soun asked perplexed.

"Because Genma is going to now give me the daughter I always wanted!" She cried out happily as she drug Genma up the stairs.

Soun blinks and then shakes his head. "I did -not- need to know that..."

End chapter 19

To be continued in Chapter 20: Forest Adventures 


	23. Chapter 23: Forest Adventures Part A

Chapter 20: Forest Adventures

Part A

Later that night... the forest was alive with sounds though the sounds were not the sounds that the wildlife were used to. The sounds seemed to be centered around one clearing, and one tent in that clearing.

"Ummm... ah... oh yea... right there..." A feminine voice moaned out.

"I'm glad ya like that..." A male voice said as he grunted a few times.

"Keep that up and I'll be asleep soon..." She moaned out softly.

"Well... after all that hiking yer back and legs had to be hurting since ya weren't used ta it..."

"Umm... thanks for the massage Ranma..."

"No problem. Hey, I wonder..." Ranma said as he reached for his backpack. "Whadda think your sister got for me? Remember she said she packed some presents for us..."

Akane yawns aloud. "Go ahead, take a look... we're winding down for today. We've made our phone call and everyone's okay..."

Ranma starts to eagerly dig through his backpack in an attempt to find the present Nabiki had packed for him. He soon finds a small box with a note attached. Ranma takes the note and reads it aloud.

"You two lovebirds be good now" - Nabiki

"That's definitely something that my sister would say..." Akane said as turned her head to look at Ranma. She is surprised to see him frozen in place with one hand holding the note and the other holding something in the backpack.

"What's the gift?" She asked.

Ranma didn't move for a moment until he heard her call his name again. Then he yelled and shoved his hand to the bottom of his pack. "Nothin'..."

"What?"

"Nothing... I mean it's nothing... she... sh... um... she was just teasin' us..." Ranma chuckled nervously as he desperately tried to hide this 'gift' from Akane.

"If that's the case... then I won't even bother to look for my gift tonight..." Akane stretched her arms towards the top of the tent and then yawns again. "I think I'm gonna go to bed now... I have something I want to try out tomorrow when we have time"

"Sure, no problem" is Ranma's reply, wondering what exactly she means by that.

Akane snuggles under the cover of the sleeping bag and then looks at Ranma. 'He's looking at me... I wonder what he's thinking about?'

'What do I do... what do I do... does she want me to... to... do THAT!' He thought with wide eyes. 'Naw... she wouldn't want me ta do that... I mean... I mean we just got here and all... and well, we're kinda just starting this... this... um what the hell is -this- anyway?' Even as he thought these things his mind was still thinking of what was written on the back of that box. It had very specific instructions...

Akane breaks the silence. "Good night, Ranma..."

"Good night..." Ranma said as he turned off the lantern. Within thirty seconds, Akane is fast asleep. Ranma nervously crawls under the sleeping bag and thinks to himself...

'It's just me and Akane... and we're alone. No parents, no rivals... just the two of us. I'm sure this trip will be... interesting...'

With that, Ranma falls asleep and for the first time in a while, has a good nights sleep. He's awakened the next morning by the sound of Akane's voice.

"How could she do this to me? Damn you Nabiki!"

"Huh?" Ranma sits up and rubs his eyes. "What's wrong, Akane?"

An exasperated Akane replies a moment later. "She messed around with my clothes for this trip- she must of done something after we went to sleep last night"

Ranma's eyes drift around the tent and notice several piles of clothes. 'Okay... there's her socks, pants, shirts, umm...' Ranma goes red as he gazes at the last pile... he sees seven very sexy bra and matching panty sets...

Akane turns her head and finds Ranma staring wide-eyed at her underwear. Instead of getting angry, which is what she normally did in the past, she shakes her head and calls out Ranma's name...

"Ranma... Ranma... hey RANMA!"

"Huh?" Ranma said as he returns to reality.

"I guess Nabiki got us both..." Akane said as she pushed two small boxes behind her backpack. 'I don't want Ranma to see what Nabiki's real surprise was...'

"Oh..." Ranma said, acknowledging the thought. Akane grabs a nearby bowl and puts it into his hands. Ranma looks down and carefully asks what it is.

"It's oatmeal..." Akane passes him a spoon and then begins to eat her own food. "Don't worry, all I had to do was boil some water and put in the packets..."

Ranma pauses for a second before eating. He was no longer afraid of her very basic cooking... but spending most of his time frowning on her food causes him to have that in-grained hesitation. Akane notices this but dismisses the idea of saying anything when he starts to eat.

"How is it?" Akane asks, hoping for a good response about her cooking.

Ranma blinked and looked at her. "It kinda tastes... different..."

"What..." Akane asked and looked at him in anger, but he kept looking into the bowl.

"It tastes like there's cinnamon in it... but I never tried it that way."

Akane blinked. "But Ranma... it is cinnamon oatmeal." She even held up the packet and let him read it for himself.

"Oh... " He then grinned. "Then it's good!"

Happily, Akane resumed eating her oatmeal. 'He liked it... and he was genuine about it...'

Ranma finishes off his oatmeal and puts the bowl down on the floor of the tent. "I'm done... um... could I have some more?"

"Sure" was Akane's hearty reply. Akane passes Ranma a packet of oatmeal to Ranma and pour some more hot water into his bowl. 'He not only likes my cooking... he wants more!'

Akane finishes off her oatmeal and then passes her empty bowl to Ranma. "Could you clean up the bowls while I go take a bath? That hot spring is just around the corner..."

"Sure, no problem..."

Akane stands up and starts picking out clothes to wear for the day. After she picks out a shirt, pants, and socks Akane pauses for a moment to consider what bra and panty set to wear. 'At least I'll be comfortable wearing what I have with me...'

Akane starts to bend down to get her choice... Ranma turns around and starts saying to himself... 'I'm not gonna look... I'm not gonna look..."

After what seems to be like an eternity, he hears the cloth of the tent door and turns around... only to catch a glimpse of her going out.

'Damn it! I still got a look at what she picked, since it was kinda draped over her shoulders...' Ranma shakes his head and tries not to think about Akane and what she would look like wearing just that particular lingerie set.

Just after Akane left, she smirked to herself. "Got him..." She then shook her head as she went to the hot springs, 'I'm such a pervert...'

Meanwhile, Ranma takes the two bowls outside and takes a short hike over to a nearby creek to wash them out.

Despite the change into female form, due to the cold water of the stream, Ranma-chan is still distracted about what she witnessed earlier.

Akane returns about thirty minutes later and finds Ranma-chan sitting in the middle of the tent, deep in meditation. "I'm not gonna think about, I'm not gonna think about it..."

"Think about what Ranma?"

"Aah! I was talking out loud..." Ranma-chan said, distressed at be caught by Akane.

"Well... what do you mean? Come on... I'm your fianc e, you can tell me..." Akane said as she inched closer and closer.

"Well, you see um... I was trying to um... not to think about..." Ranma-chan nervously replied.

"Not think about what?" Ranma-chan feels Akane place a hand on her shoulder.

Ranma-chan stammers out some incoherent phrases, which cause Akane to blink and stare at her. Ranma-chan stares back into her eyes for a little bit. All thoughts of the lingerie are lost as she notices the concerned expression on her face. For a moment Ranma-chan is lost in Akane's eyes. All thoughts of Akane s previous choice in clothing is lost as she cannot help but think: "She's cute..."

Akane blinked as the words filtered though her mind. 'She's cute... Ranma said... she's cute... I'm cute!' she thought in glee. Akane smiled brightly at her fianc e, yet she was unable to think of what to say.

Ranma had thought that Akane was cute before... but after seeing Akane's bright smile... Ranma-chan knew deep in her heart that all those time she called Akane un-cute were definitely... un-true.

Akane expresses her thanks by giving Ranma-chan a quick hug. Ranma-chan cannot help but blush as a result. Her eyes stay on Akane as she pulls away...

"It's your turn... why don't you get cleaned up?"

"Sure..." Ranma-chan stood up. "I'll be back in a little while, okay?"

"All right, see yah in a little while..." Akane said as she watched Ranma-chan get her change of clothes, soap, and shampoo. As soon as she's out of the tent, Akane decides to get rid of Nabiki's other present, since Ranma is now gone. 'This might be my only chance... I don't want Ranma to see these...'

Akane takes a moment to look at herself in the small mirror she brought with after ditching Nabiki's present.

'It's about time Ranma really noticed me... maybe what Nabiki did with my clothes isn't really a bad thing. I could tease Ranma all week...' A small giggle is heard after that thought.

"What's so funny?" Ranma asks as he steps into the tent.

"Oh, nothing at all... are you ready to go?" Akane cheerfully asked.

"Go where?"

"I'd thought we talked about this yesterday you promised me that we d go hiking everyday as part of our training

Oh yeah sure, let s go then With that, Ranma heads back outside of the tent with Akane right behind him.

The two spend almost an hour hiking around the area before reaching the top of a nearby mountain. Both pause to take a break and relax for a few minutes. Akane notices that Ranma is eating something that he just took out of a small box

Want some? Ranma said as he opened the box. The smell of strawberries fill the air

Umm no thanks Akane said as she turned her face away. How the hell did he find that box? I don t think he realizes what he s eating

Ranma notices her reaction and is curious about why she did that but decides not to press the issue. He focuses instead on the view and his surroundings. This would be perfect for what mom suggested, who knows, maybe on the last morning Akane and I could try that out

Hey, stop spacing out on me! Akane said as she snapped her fingers in front of Ranma.

Oh, sorry Ranma looks at Akane.

Thinking of me?

Well, umm yeah Ranma said, not wanting to tell her about the surprise he was planning for her.

Akane smiles and then takes Ranma s hand. I think we should head back and then you re making lunch

Ranma stands up. Okay but then it s time to do some more training. I haven t had a chance to try out my idea yet

That s fine but I don t think you ll be able to escape my glomp Akane said as she suppressed a small chuckle. Ranma rolls his eyes and then the two start to make their way down the mountain. Ranma finishes off what he had been eating earlier and throws the paper box it was in into the fire pit back at their campsite. A short while later, he cooks up some miso soup for lunch, using instant powder with some hot water. Akane quickly eats up the soup and asks for more she had been hungry earlier, but didn t want to eat any of what Ranma was munching on earlier.

Umm Akane about our practice Ranma says, nervous about what he is about to ask.

Yeah, Ranma?

I have to umm tickle you a lot you aren t gonna get mad if I accidentally

Akane sighs. It s fine Ranma I know we ll both be very close when we practice Akane can t help but blush slightly at the thought- the same was on her mind as well.

"I'm sure you've want to do that for a long time, pervert" Akane says playfully, causing Ranma to blush even more. Much to her surprise, he nods his head.

"Yeah, but not get killed when I do it" he adds while looking at his fiancee. "I trust yah not to kill me..."

"I trust you too, Ranma..."

Ranma gets into a standard defensive position he decides to let Akane be the aggressor, since he needs to her to be close to tickle her anyway. Akane takes a few deep breaths and then prepares to glomp her fianc e into submission

Ready, Ranma? Akane said confidently.

Ready!

As soon as the words come out of Ranma s mouth, Akane moves forward and tries to grab onto Ranma. Ranma lets Akane latch onto him and then starts to tickle her Akane tries to suppress her laughter as he continues to move his hands around.

After about 15 seconds, Akane s grip in Ranma s eyes seems to be unchanged. Time for plan B he thinks to himself. Ranma tries tickling her along the sides of her body as well

You re not getting away that easily Akane said as she began to press her upper body against Ranma. She feels his hands slow down as the obvious happens Ranma still hadn t gotten used to intimate contact with her.

I can t let her win there has to be a way out without touching her Ranma blushes as he tries to resume his full speed tickle attack.

To throw off Ranma some more, Akane decides to use the magic phrase that goes with her attack.

Wo Ai Ni!

Ranma cannot help but think of Shampoo for a moment and all of the glomps that he received from her. This time, though, it s Akane and part of him is enjoying the feeling of her rubbing against him. His face gets redder as embarrassment and frustration start to mount.

An exasperated Ranma cries out Are you even ticklish?

Akane winks at Ranma. I can t tell you that, that d be cheating

Ranma sighs aloud. She s gonna beat me unless I can get her to let go of me

Trying to be creative, he tries to use his Chestnuts over an Open Fire technique in combination with the tickles in an attempt to get Akane off of him. It causes her to loosen her grasp but not totally let go

Akane decides to try a sneak tactic in an effort to regain her hold on Ranma.

Hey, watch where you re touching me!

Ranma immediately slows down his attack which is exactly what Akane wanted to happen. She presses her upper body against him again and mutters a familiar Chinese phrase once again but in a more seductive voice

Wo Ai Ni!

Ranma rolls his eyes and decides to regroup and come back later. I need some more practice and I gotta figure out where her weak spot is

I give up Ranma says, still not believing that he just lost a match, even if it was a friendly one.

Akane smiles and looks Ranma in the eye. Yes! I won! Akane starts to chuckle and Ranma sighs aloud.

Can you let go of me now?

No. You know how to get out of this hold

An agitated Ranma responds almost immediately. You really want me to touch you that badly?

Akane is slightly offended by what he just said. Are you calling me a pervert? I could have sworn that your hands were all over my body a second ago

Well, you said you wouldn t mind and look at what you re doing umm Ranma gulps as he looks down at Akane s body.

Akane s bad mood disappears when she notices what Ranma is doing. Can t stop looking at me, can you Ranma? I guess I ll let you go but you have to do it the right way

I ll let you go but you know what you have to do Akane said in a teasing tone of voice.

Fine but you re really being perverted today Ranma said as he prepared to touch Akane.

Akane decides to wait until he s free to reply back to that comment. Ranma closes his eyes and then presses on Akane s chest. She instinctively releases her hold on Ranma and pulls back. He moves his hands away and opens his eyes

That wasn t so bad, was it? Akane said with a grin.

No

And about what you said a second ago I wasn t the one staring at lingerie earlier or eating an EDIBLE pair of panties!

Ranma knows that he s guilty about the first charge but has to really think about the second charge. Wait a second those did kinda look like

Ranma s face goes beet red and he lowers his head. Akane hears him speak softly a moment later.

That was your real gift from Nabiki, huh?

Umm yeah she is thoughtful, isn t she? Akane said softly in return.  
I guess that s her way of showing how much she cares for us Ranma said sarcastically.

Yeah as much as I wanna get her back for this I don t think I can. She s really getting into some heat from your mom and my dad they think she s messing around with Kuno Akane said as she thought of the events that happened just before they left on this trip.

There s something I DON'T want to think about Ranma said, trying to get a laugh out of Akane. His effort was rewarded a moment later when she started to smile.

Why don t we take a break and try out that card game that Nabiki gave us?

Sure Ranma said while thinking about using this opportunity to think about what just happened and how to tickle Akane into submission. Akane gets out both copies of the Brawl: Catfight game and passes one over to Ranma.

Are you sure you didn t model for this cover? Except for the c-c-c-cat ears and tail, it s

Akane crawls on all fours and gets in Ranma s face

It s what?

Umm Ranma can see that Akane is not very happy with him bringing this up again he got malleted the last time for saying something.

It s still not umm as cute as you are Ranma prays that his response will work. Akane looks him in the eye, trying to figure out if he was being genuine or not

Oh, really? Akane said as she sits down next to Ranma. Tell me more

Well, umm I don t think there s anyone that would have umm gone thru so much for me Ranma said as he tried to use this chance to express some of his feelings for Akane.

Akane rests her head on Ranma s shoulder. That s right and I ve never regretted for a moment what I did. You re a pretty good guy for the most part Akane chuckles and Ranma looks at her with a wry smile.

Gee, thanks Akane

You re welcome

All is quiet for the next few minutes as Akane enjoys the warm feeling of being next to Ranma. He notices that he isn t as nervous about this as he used to be. I must be getting used ta her and I did wanna learn more about her. This isn t too bad

Ranma? Akane speaks up a moment later.

Yeah?

Ready to fight me again?

Sure I have to make up for losing earlier Ranma said confidently.

You aren t angry about losing to me, are you? Akane said as she teased her fianc e.

No and I ll find where you re ticklish Ranma said with a smile. "Besides, you and I seem to have lots of fun fighting..."

Akane doesn t comment on that immediately and moves herself so that she sitting across from Ranma. She opens her pack of cards and Ranma does the same

Ranma, you have to find the spot yourself I can t tell you. You said you wanted to know more about me, so you have to figure it out

I get what you mean Ranma looked down at the cards. Did ya read about how this game is suppose ta work?

Not yet why don t we read the instructions and play a few practice games?

Sounds good to me

Akane and Ranma do just that, spending the better part of an hour trying to figure out the game. Once they do, they play some real games against each other. Ranma uses his reflexes and rapid fire maneuvers to win the majority of the games

Damn it! You beat me again! Akane said as another game comes to a close.

Well, you can t win every time Ranma said with a smirk.

Look who s talking Mister I can t lose a fight Akane snapped back.

Hmmph

Akane decides to take this opportunity to spring a sneak attack on Ranma Wo Ai Ni!

Ranma is taken totally by surprised and finds himself pinned to the ground by Akane

Let s see if you can win now Akane says with a chuckle.

You re really cunning, yah know that Ranma said as his face went red. It s hard to beat her she keeps distracting me with her words and her body

Am I too much tomboy for you to handle? Akane says as she continues to egg Ranma on. He responds by initiating his new tickling technique which causes her to loosen her grip but not let go, just like last time.

You know, I never was very ticklish maybe you ll have to think of something else

Ranma sighs and tries to think of some other way to get out of the hold but nothing comes to mind. After a minute of silence, Akane releases Ranma

Are you okay? Akane asked, being very concerned with this sudden silence on Ranma s part.

Yeah I was just thinkin

Ranma, I can tell you where to Akane said as she realized that this was no joke. Ranma looked concerned and distressed about failing yet again to get out of her hold.

No, Akane that d be cheatin and you know I never give up on a challenge

Akane knew that look. "You know if someone was to ever grab me like that... do you know what I'd do?"

Ranma blinked at her. She was offering to tell him what she'd do and let him figure out the rest. With a grin he asked her, "What'd you do?"

Seeing that he took the bait she told him...

Ranma nods his head as he listens to what she says and then she makes a small joke

Hey, at least I don t have Do-chan with me

Ranma smiles. You re right though I don t think it d be right to wear that suit for a new technique

I hoped that helped you out without giving you the answer Akane said as she tried to encourage Ranma to figure this problem out.

Sounds good enough to me Ranma said as he stretched his arms out.

For the rest of the day, Akane and Ranma engage in some small talk and did some deep thinking about the current problem. Both agreed to postpone anymore training until tomorrow. The evening was not wasted though... as just being together made both parties less nervous about the being with the other and expressing themselves.

At the end of the evening, before going to bed, Akane decides to pursue something new with Ranma, something that she'll eventually have to face...

"Hey Ranma, I need your help"

"Yeah, sure, what is it?" Ranma asks eagerly.

"It's about our new living arrangement... and yesterday... and our training here" Akane sighs aloud. "I want to see how something sounds, can you come here?"

"Umm, okay..." Ranma scoots over on the sleeping bag, getting close to his fiancee. She says nothing but crawls into his lap.

Akane wraps her arms around Ranma and lowers her voice to a mere whisper. "Ranma"

"Yeah?" the now blushing martial artist replies, liking the closeness of the situation.

"I want you to make out with me... but call me 'Akane Saotome' instead of Akane"

"That's one weird request but yeah, I can do that..."

Akane rolls her eyes. "Technically, I'm already Akane Saotome... but I want to see and feel what that means to you..."

"Ah, now I get it" Ranma moves in for a kiss and lets the passion slowly build as she returns his affections...

Taking a break for some air, Ranma whispers "Akane Saotome means seeing your soft side..." before going back to work kissing her lips. Akane mentally notes that the same is true for Ranma and is about to say so aloud when Ranma's hands begin carressing her hips and squeezing her behind.

"Mmm... I love that..."

"That's our trust for each other at work, your old self wouldn't have let me do that"

"No, it wouldn't have..."

Ranma continues to make Akane feel good, noting everything that she reacts to for future reference. 'This is a good learning experience for us both- mom was right about this trip'

Not wanting to feel left out, Akane decides to be a little bold herself by removing Ranma's shirt. "Now if I did that to you before you'd think I was..."

"One crazy tomboy under the influence of some spell of Shampoo's or somethin'" is Ranma's reply with a grin.

"Exactly... but it's what I truly want. I'm not afraid of being honest with you"

"And neither am I... I got one more thing ta do with your new name"

"Oh?" the curious Akane replies back. "What's that?"

Ranma says nothing but moves in for a tender kiss on her neck, causing Akane to tilt her head to one side. "Mmm"

"Akane Saotome is..."

"Yes?"

A gentle tug follows Akane's inquiry as Ranma removes her shirt and tosses it aside. "Sexy"

Akane blushes. "Oh Ranma... you don't know how much it means to hear you say that and actually mean it"

"Sorry about before, but yah really do look good..." Ranma's eyes lock onto the bra that she happens to be wearing. "I ain't ever seen that one before... umm, not like I spying or anything..."

"I just got it recently... and I put it on the line for the first time right before we left so there was no way you could've seen any of these... that must be how Nabiki got all of this lingerie without coming into our room"

"Oh, that does make sense- I'm sure we'd have heard her if she was snooping around our room"

"You would've seen these soon, anyways... so it's not a big deal. Besides, we get privacy for a while... she has to deal with your mom while we're gone"

Ranma grins. "Yeah, we ain't there to divert her attention..."

"I know where you're attention is right now, pervert" Akane sticks out her tongue playfully. "I want to snuggle with you, Ranma... can you rub my back like you did last night?"

"Um, sure, no problem..." Ranma tries to tear his away from the black lace bra that Akane is wearing but fails. He lets Akane snuggle against his chest before pulling the sleeping bag cover over them both.

"Much better... I was getting cold without that shirt"

"Heh... I'll keep yah warm, don't worry..."

Ranma, seeing an opportunity to practice showing his gentle side, begins carressing Akane's hair with his fingers, much to her approval. As Akane begins to fall asleep, he moves his hands onto her back and unhooks her bra, allowing her to have a comfortable rest as he gently massages her soft skin.

'I'm gettin' better at this stuff, but I'm still nervous. I'm not used to wanting something so bad that ain't martial arts related... she seems a lot more comfortable with me lately, that's definitely a good sign. I guess mom was right, yah open your heart and you'll get good things out of it...'

A little while later Ranma falls asleep, tired out after a long day of activity.

The morning of Day #3 finds Akane hard at work making breakfast Ranma wakes up and hears activity outside She s making breakfast again and I m not gonna worry about it

Oh, Ranma Akane says sweetly as she enters the tent. Here s your breakfast

Akane hands the cup of tea and bowl of oatmeal over to Ranma he takes a sip of the tea and then starts to devour the oatmeal she notices that he does this without any hesitation whatsoever

Is it good? Akane asks. I hope he likes it as much as yesterday s breakfast

Ranma nods his head as he finishes off the oatmeal. Got any more?

Sure coming right up! Akane says as she thinks to herself. He seems to really like it today maybe I am getting better at this

Akane heads back outside for a moment and returns with her own bowl and a kettle of hot water. She puts her bowl down and pours some water into Ranma s bowl. Reaching into her pocket, she takes out another packet of oatmeal and pours it into Ranma s bowl.

Thanks Akane

No problem Akane says as she begins to eat breakfast herself.

Akane finishes eating and then heads over to her backpack. She starts pulling out a change of clothes and the stuff she needs for the bath. Let s see which pair am I gonna wear today Akane thinks as a small grin forms on her face.

Can you clean up everything again Ranma?

Sure

Akane grabs everything she needs and as she did yesterday, has her bra hanging over her shoulder

I m going to take a bath I ll be back!

Ranma nods his head and fumbles trying to pick up the dishes several times. I'm not gonna think about it... I'm not gonna think about it..." he mumbled as he knew that once he started thinking about what she might be wearing then he'd have to become a girl again to keep her from noticing.

I d bet she d look pretty good in that bra Ranma comments to himself. "Gah... I thought about it..."

Akane giggles on her way over to the hot spring. I m so bad and I complained about him being the pervert before Akane sighs as she undresses and begins to soak in the hot spring. She thinks about her life since that fight. It was worth it being a little perverted is worth being with Ranma

Ranma in the meantime cleans out the dishes and then uses the last of the hot water to change back to a guy. I should have done that yesterday then I wouldn t have been stuck as a girl until I took that bath

When Akane returns from her bath, she s surprised to find Ranma lying down in the tent reading a book

What yah reading?

"Oh nothing... its a manga I took from Nabiki's room, it's about this guy that really likes this girl but all these other people keep causing problems for them an..." He blinks then hides the book behind another one. Something I picked up before we left I got it from Dr. Tofu. It s a book on tickling

Akane wasn't sure... but she was sure that the woman on the cover of that manga looked a lot like her. 'Has to be my imagination...' she thought.

Akane blinked. 'He took a manga from Nabiki's room... she's going to have his hide... but... wait a second... did he say tickling?' She looked at the cover he was showing her... upside down... Oh I guess they have a book on everything these days Akane said as she closed the door to the tent. He was reading Maison Ikkoku I think Nabiki lent me that series one time

Maybe later we can do some more hiking and then I wanna try out a few things Ranma suggested and waited for her reply hoping to get her away from thinking that he was reading a manga... nope, not him. He was a manly man after all and manly men don't read manga's... though it was strangely similar to what he and Akane kept going through.

Sure, that sounds good Akane said as she threw her dirty clothes into a corner of the tent. As she did yesterday, Akane deliberately avoids having her underwear showing in the pile. I don t wanna tease him too much

Ranma continues reading his book and Akane decides to do the same thing, she digs out a novel that she brought with and begins to read it. A few hours later, the pair head out for another hike through the woods and some additional training. During the hike, Akane slips her hand into Ranma s he blushes but gently grasps her hand

'I guess I could... naw should get used to this, um doing this... with her. And there's no one around... So I shouldn't be too nervous...' Ranma thinks to himself as the hike continues.

Elsewhere in Japan, Ranma and Akane s disappearance has some people worried. Back in Nerima, Ukyo is getting concerned. It's been a couple days since I seen Ranma... maybe I should check with mom and see how their training is going She looks around at her restaurant and makes a quick decision

Ukyo called out to her recently hired assistant. Tsubasa!

Yes? Was the immediate response.

Can you mind the store for a little while? I have to take care of something

Tsubasa eagerly responds a moment later. Of course! I was wondering if you were gonna give me a chance to do that sometime... I think I can make a decent Okonomiyaki by now

"It'd better be better than decent... I have a reputation to uphold you know."

Of course! Nothing but the best! Tsubasa replied.

Ukyo nods her head and starts to head for the door when a familiar voice calls out to her

Ukyo!

Ukyo turns around and watches her boyfriend enter the room. Ryoga I m going over to Ranma s place

At the mention of Ranma s place Ryoga feels afraid he will always remember what Akane said to him that one time

Can I come with you? Ryoga asks after summoning up some courage.

Ukyo is initially surprised by his request but says Sure a moment later. The two head over to the Tendo House and find Kasumi serving lunch to Genma, Soun, and Nodoka.

Kasumi says hello to the pair and then Nodoka turns to get a better look at the new guests.

How are my daughter and her boyfriend doing? I haven t seen you in a few days

Soun and Genma know what s about to happen and wisely stay silent as Ukyo replies.

Oh, we re fine I ve just been busy with the restaurant business is really good right now

I see Nodoka pauses to remember something that she has been meaning to ask Ukyo. Oh, yes I forgot to ask this last time I was at your place. Where is Ryoga staying?

Both Ukyo and Ryoga blush as a result of Nodoka s comment.

Ukyo s reply is barely audible. He he s staying in my room

Nodoka suddenly has a huge smile on her face. That s wonderful! You re sleeping in the same room, just like my manly son and Akane. I ll have grandchildren in no time, since both my son and daughter are already sleeping with their intended

Kasumi cannot help but utter an Oh my and Soun and Genma go red in the face. Ukyo can feel Ryoga s hands on her shoulder and the obvious nervousness that he has at the moment. For her part, Ukyo cannot help but be speechless as a result of what she just heard.

Nodoka comes to another conclusion a moment later. You said you two were in the same room are you both together in the same bed?

Ukyo slowly nods her head.

Tell me daughter... Is Ryoga manly... will he do the family proud? I've known some men that just rut around in bed and are complete pigs. Please tell me that your Ryoga isn't like that..." Even as she spoke she glared at her husband causing him to go red in the face.

To the side Kasumi was red, but for another reason. Just thinking about such things were not proper.

"I'd never do that to Ukyo!" Was Ryoga s immediate reply.

"Oh good! Then you are concerned about making it pleasurable for her too... well then I have some things I think will do you good. I wanted to give them to my son, but he left before I could give them to him.

So saying, Nodoka stood up and began handing Ryoga several books. The Kama Sutra... , 101 Sexual Positions , The Art of Massage

Genma blinks. "Kami-sama... where'd she keep those books?"

Ryoga just looks at the book in his arms. There is just one thing that he can think of at this point... and seeing the position of the male and female on the front cover of the top book only worsened it as he could not help but imaging it was him and Ukyo- this just quickened his reaction. "Gah..." he said eloquently before falling over backwards into blessed unconsciousness.

Ukyo was beside herself... that is if she could pull off the splitting cat hairs. Regardless, she was looking at the pile of books in Ryoga's arms and trying to come to grips with what her new 'mother' was doing, and suggesting.

Kasumi looked at the unconscious Ryoga... as well as the books he was holding. "Oh my..." she said demurely. "I don't think it's proper for Ryoga to... to... do that yet."

Nodoka blinked. "Why you're right! Genma we need to arrange a wedding for our daughter!"

Genma blinked, "Wha..."

"Oh I know!"

"You do?" Asked Soun nervously.

"Yes we can make it a double wedding! That way both of my children can be married on the same day!"

Ukyo was not used to having this many shocks to her system at one time and she was beginning to think that coming over was a bad idea. But when her mother mentioned a double wedding, that was more than the chef could handle and she fell over into unconsciousness.

Oh my..." Kasumi said as now Ukyo was lying across Ryoga. Though she was surprised about what was going on, Kasumi knew one important thing. 'It might not be proper... but perhaps I can keep it a secret from Mrs. Saotome that I like Dr. Tofu...'

A few hours later, Kasumi notices that two visitors are stirring and decides to talk to Ryoga.

"Um excuse me Ryoga..." Kasumi asked politely.

"MMfph... neth... nnnewww"

Kasumi blinked. "What was that?"

"Noft... newwww" he responded and pulled the girl in his arms closer. "Oh my... but that's not proper... especially on the living room floor"

Genma and Soun just looked at the couple on the floor with wide eyes as Nodoka was prancing around waving little flags about. "Leth... uth... sleep..." the boy mumbled as the girl in his arms snuggled closer to the boy.

"Oh dear..."

Goth back ta bed..." he mumbled again.

"But..."

"Kasumi..." Genma said softly. When she looked up he told her, "He wants you to go back to bed so they can sleep." When she blinked at him he shrugged, "I got used to trying to understand my boy while he slept.

"But... it's not proper I..."

Kasumi was not normally one to be unsettled like this, but it did sound that way.

"Lithen... huney... daddy be there minute... leth mommy an I sleep longer..." the unconscious boy mumbled causing Kasumi to blush a very bright shade of red while Nodoka just celebrated harder and brought out three bottle of sake for her and the two fathers.

Soun just looked at the two and how they were intertwined on the floor and when Ryoga's words penetrated his haze he realized something. Something scary. "Um... Kasumi... perhaps we should get something to wake them up..." "Um... yes... right away..." she said and bid a hasty retreat form the room.

"Yay! My new son-in-law is already thinking about children! I'm sure to be a grandmother soon! Nodoka said happily as Ryoga continued to mumble to himself.

"Children... grandmother..." a sleepy yet content sounding female voice said softly before repeating it. It took three repetitions before the girl's eyes opened up and she realized that she was snuggled against Ryoga's chest with his chin against the top of her head. 'And... and...' she mentally said to herself. 'His hands on my... on my...' her eyes went wide as did the eyes of three adults as Ryoga's left hand squeezed the flesh that it held... that happened to be on the chef's backside in a rather tender way.

Ranma blinked and looked towards the east. "What's wrong?" Akane asked him. "I thought I heard Ryoga scream..."

Ukyo was panting as she stood as far away from Ryoga as she could. The lost boy was looking at her in panic as well from his position on the floor against the opposite wall. From where he sat he unfortunately had a good view of her chest as she heaved trying to gather her breath and wits. He too was not sure what to make of things as when he woke up he was staring at her wide eyes and then when she told him to get his hand off of her...

'Oh why do the gods hate me?' he thought. 'I had my hand on her...' even now when he thought about that he could not help but stare at his hand in amazement as once the both of them were fully awake he had given the thing in his hand a light squeeze several times before his mind was able to recognize what that was.

His thoughts weren't helped when she growled at him, but he could ve sworn that when he did it the first time... she moaned.

Soun stands up and then addresses Kasumi. I don t we have to wake them up now why don t we go in the other room and let them have some privacy

Okay father Kasumi said, relieved that the situation seemed to have resolved itself though in an unexpected way.

You too, Saotome Soun said as he placed a hand on his friend s shoulder.

Kasumi and the two fathers leave the room Nodoka walks over to Ukyo and sits down next to the trembling girl who has finally managed to catch her breath.

Are you okay?

Yeah I think so Ukyo said as she looked over at Nodoka. Ryoga begins bowing down and apologizing to Ukyo

I m sorry, I m sorry I was asleep and I couldn t help myself

Nodoka thinks for a moment and then asks Ukyo a question. Ukyo did he ever touch you like that before?

Umm no

A disappointed Nodoka sighs aloud. And here I thought they were far along it may be a while before I get grandchildren now

Ryoga speaks up a moment later. We ve just done a few things but umm I really enjoy being with Ukyo she umm makes me happy

Ukyo blushes and Nodoka realizes that he does really like her daughter she had only had a few chances to talk to this young man before and wasn t too sure about him until now.

Nodoka stands up. I think I should go and let you talk with Ryoga alone

Wait Ukyo said as she gently tugged on Nodoka s kimono.

What is it dear?

Where exactly is Ranma? That s what I came over to ask in the first place

Oh, he ll be back in four days. He s in the middle of a week-long training trip with Akane. They re both up in the mountains alone in a tent. I bet I ll be a grandmother soon!

Both Ukyo and Ryoga blush and then Nodoka leaves the room. Ryoga slowly gets up and walks over to Ukyo. She watches him the whole time and wonders what she gotten herself into. I wanted a mother a family but this one is very unique

Ryoga extends his hand out to Ukyo and she takes it and stands up. Why do I have the feeling that she set that trip up?

Ryoga laughed a moment later. You re probably right

Let s get going it s getting late

The two leave the house and head back towards the caf on the way, Ryoga feels Ukyo slip her hand into his. He reflects on his prior thoughts and feelings from earlier and makes a decision.

We should do this more often Ryoga said as he smiled at Ukyo.

Y-yeah Ukyo said with a slight blush creeping across her face.

The two continue walking and soon arrive back at Ukyo s restaurant. As soon as they walk in the door, Tsubasa calls out to them

Where ve you two been? I ve had to run everything all by myself and the dinner rush was a killer!

Oh sorry about that. We stopped over at Ranma s house and let s say we got trapped there for a few hours Ukyo said in an attempt to calm Tsubasa down.

How was business while we were gone? Ryoga asked.

Pretty good I even got some compliments on the taste of my recipes Tsubasa said with pride.

Well, maybe I should add some new specials to the menu if that s the case Ukyo said and then paused. I don t feel right all this talk about food is making me hungry

As if by cue, both her and Ryoga s stomachs growl out loud. Tsubasa chuckles. I think you two better sit down while I whip up one of my new specials

Ryoga and Ukyo sit down and wait for the food to be finished. It had been one interesting day and both know that they have some issues to discuss later in private.

End Part A 


	24. Chapter 24: Forest Adventures Part B

Start Part B

Over in a Tokyo marina, Kuno is desperately looking for something and Nabiki is getting quite annoyed. He dragged me all the way down here for some surprise and now he can t even find it

What are we looking for again? Nabiki tried once again to get him to spill his guts about this surprise.

I cannot tell you Kuno said, trying to remember the one little detail that was eluding him before Nabiki used one of her many techniques to get information out of him.

Nabiki decided it was time for some more advanced measures. Kuno-baby she cooed in his ear. I m getting hungry let s get something to eat

Kuno snaps his fingers together. Aha I remember now. Follow me He said as he walked towards a nearby warehouse. Nabiki was more confused then ever but followed him anyways The sooner he finds this surprise for me, the better

Kuno heads inside the main doors and introduces himself to the guard that greets him. The guard leads them down a hallway and Nabiki notices that there are several ships under construction here

There you are sir, she s almost finished The guard pointed at a nearby yacht. If you have any question, please give me a call With that, the guard starts to walk back towards his post.

Nabiki looks at the aforementioned yacht. Kuno, what s this?

It s the The Ice Princess of course Kuno stated matter-of-factly. "The Ice Princess..." she asked slowly to make sure she understood.

"Verily... You have called thyself the Ice Queen, and naming a ship after you specifically was my first idea. However the Ice Princess seemed more fitting."

Nabiki did have to nod at that as the baby blue highlights along the white of the ship reminded her of ice... but she wasn t sure if she liked the thought.

"You see, this yacht has all the comforts of home and while it makes one think of coldness and isolation, they would be further from the truth. Verily as doth the Ice Queen herself mask her true warmth... so does the Ice Princess mask the... the... " Kuno looked at his hand... and then continued. "The true warmth that she is named after"

Nabiki blinked and smiled softly at him. "Why Kuno I'm surprised..." she said as she took his hand only to notice a card in it. Turning his hand over she realized that he had the speech written out and had obviously rehearsed it.

"I'm sorry... but I had to write it down... lest I get forgetful while in your presence."

"And why would you do that?" She asked with a smile and a raised brow.

"Because... because..." he tried to say but found himself lost as he looked into her eyes. He d never noticed them before. In all the time that they shared a classroom together, he never noticed her eyes. And now that he had, he felt captivated by them. Yet it was not a bad thing, as he would willingly make himself her captive and throw away the key.

Nabiki saunters up to Kuno and places her head on his chest. She hears him whisper a few words a moment later and she is definitely satisfied with his answer.

Do you want to go inside? Kuno said as he pointed at a ladder.

Sure

The pair scramble up the ladder and Kuno begins to carefully inspect the masts and railings of the boat. Nabiki begins to wander around and notices that except for some of the electronics, the boat is almost done

She looks a lot better then that last yacht you had

Tis true. The new Ice Princess is better equipped and has a more streamlined figure Kuno said with pride.

You know you could ve just named the boat after me

"Alas... I could not."

"Why?" She asked with obvious interest.

"That name was already taken..." he said softly as his eyes looked over the ship. Behind him Nabiki was dumbstruck at the thought that there was a ship named after her. "It is a most beautiful and impressive thing... Nabiki... not even the kami could have anticipated such beauty..." he sadly shook his head. "Such beauty... and to think one such as I was so near to it and never noticed. She is a work of the most precious art... strong... and sure... tough... yet delicate."

He pauses for a moment and then continues to speak. "I've seen her ride out a storm so severe with such innate calmness; that I hath been left in awe of her."

Nabiki at this point was wondering about him, it was not clear to her if he was talking about a ship any longer.

"I..." he stopped and shook his head. "My apologies... I seem to get lost in my musings"

"It's ok... really..." she said though she was wondering what was going on in his mind- hoping his old condition wasn't showing itself again.

"Come... there is more to see..." He said and motioned her towards a door that leads to one of the cabins.

Kuno opened the door and Nabiki peeks inside.

It s dark and it looked to me like they didn t finish all of the electrical work on the ship

Kuno runs his hand along the wall and finds the switch. As soon as the lights come on, Nabiki gasps because of what she saw inside

Is this ? Is about all Nabiki can manage to say.

Yes, it is a luxury meal from some of the finest restaurants in Tokyo only the best for my fair Nabiki

Kuno, I Nabiki looks into his eyes and seems to get lost in them. Kuno wraps his arms around her and gives her a quick hug.

We should eat before the food gets cold that is why I panicked earlier my surprise would have been ruined if we arrived later

Oh Nabiki pauses and allows the many pleasant aromas to spurn her to action. Let s eat! I m starving!

Kuno chuckles and then sits down at the table and eats. As the meal goes on, Kuno can see that she s impressed with the food and also about the ship as well.

Nabiki ate and could not help but think about what he said earlier. "It's too bad there's another ship out there called The Nabiki."

"What? How could there be? I specifically asked the shipwrights to make sure that no one had a ship of that name."

Wait a second I thought Nabiki suddenly realized that he was talking about her earlier and not a ship. She winks at Kuno and decides to reward him after dinner

Kuno cannot help but wonder what s going to happen after dinner Nabiki had the look in her eyes

Dinner is soon finished both agree that its one of the best either have ever had.

Would you like me to show you around the rest of the ship? Kuno asked.

Maybe in a few minutes I noticed that this room already finished- it even has a bed

Nabiki watched as Kuno became increasingly nervous. Yes

Nabiki gets out of her chair and sits down on the bed and falls flat on her back.

A waterbed? Nabiki said as she gently kicked the bed, causing it to ripple. This feels good

Kuno couldn t say anything in response the ripples that Nabiki were causing made her body move up and down and certain other parts of her body moved as well.

Kuno-baby come here this is fun!

After a few seconds pass without a word from Kuno, Nabiki turns her head and notices that he s staring at her moving chest

He seems to be hypnotized by my chest but I want him to come over here, it s no fun just teasing him from a distance Nabiki said to herself as she thought of a plan.

Is it me, or is it getting warm in here? Nabiki said in a sultry tone of voice.

Nabiki s comment breaks Kuno s concentration and gets him thinking about other things. Tis a bit warm in here

I could use some help over here Nabiki said as she gently tugged at her shirt.

Kuno stiffly stand up... lifts one leg to walk towards her before abruptly turning around. "I... I cannot..."

Oh, come on Nabiki pouted.

"I... I dare not trust myself... please... do not temp me so..."

Fine I promise not to do anything. I just want you to sit next to me Nabiki sighed aloud and gave in

I have your word? Kuno said, not wanting to be tricked. The situation could really get out of hand and he honestly didn t want to tempt fate

Nabiki was silent for a few seconds and then muttered a Yes

Kuno slowly gets out of the chair and walks over to the bed, his eyes watching Nabiki the whole time. He sits on the bed and ends up exactly like Nabiki had earlier, flat on his back.

There that wasn t too hard, was it?

No

You know I was thinking Nabiki paused to kick up a few ripples, making both teens move up and down on the bed.

Go on Kuno said, wanting to hear what she had to say.

I really like everything we did today. The meal and then naming the ship after me I Nabiki struggled with her words- expressing her true feelings was one thing that she had very little experience with, especially when it came to matters of love.

Kuno takes the initiative and takes her hand. You have truly been an inspiration to me thou art the most beautiful woman I have ever met

Nabiki blushes and gently squeezes his hand. Thank you

The two hold hands for a little while and think about certain things. Nabiki regrets pushing him so hard earlier Maybe I went too far I don t want to seduce him, just tease him a little bit

Kuno is grateful that he was able to maintain his self control and also happy that Nabiki didn t push the issue when he asked her to stop.

Kuno when will the Ice Princess be ready to sail? Nabiki said as she broke the silence.

Hmm perhaps a week or two

I was thinking maybe we should invite everyone to the launch

I agree but I have a special request for the christening to ask of thee

That catches Nabiki s attention. What do you mean?

Would you be willing to spend a week with me on a date at sea Kuno asked nervously.

Well, umm sure but don t you think that s a long time? You do remember what happened the last time

I was thinking of going a short distance away, far enough to be uninterrupted on our date but not put us in danger Kuno said, trying to convince Nabiki.

But what about the others? Nabiki said, remembering what she had mentioned to him earlier.

They will be there to see us off not go with us on our voyage

Hmm if that s the case Nabiki places a kiss on Kuno s cheek. You ve got a date!

"I was thinking that this could prove to be a valuable opportunity to work on your martial arts as well"

Part of Nabiki wants to sigh after hearing that but she does realize that it's a good chance to do that and also be, for the most part, innaccessable.

"Okay, that's fine... we can stay in touch via the cell phones and if something happens we won't be far away"

Kuno smiles. "True... let me show you the rest of the ship"

A little while later, after the tour, the pair leave the yacht and head back towards the front door. Kuno passes the guard a few large denomination bills for setting this up for him.

Anytime sir I ll make sure you know the minute that she s ready to set sail!

With that, Kuno and Nabiki head back towards Nerima.

Day Four of Ranma and Akane s training trip began as usual oatmeal and tea for breakfast. This time, though, Ranma helped with breakfast and both parties sat around the fire and talked, instead of eating in the tent. After breakfast, though, Akane didn t change her normal routine. Once again, she leaves the tent with one of her bras over her shoulder

Back in the tent, Ranma places his hand against his forehead. She did it again but but Ranma s thoughts went a different direction. I d bet she d look pretty nice in that bra white is a good color on her

When Akane returns from her bath a short while later, she finds Ranma reading that book on tickling again or at least that s what he s trying to convey to her. Akane sits down and points something out to Ranma.

Ranma you re reading the book upside down

Ah... I knew that... I was... just um... practicing reading upside down!" Ranma said as he turned the book around causing the manga he was reading to drop to the floor. Akane cannot help but giggle

Akane sighs as she knows that Ranma has never been able to tell a convincing lie. But that gives her a wonderful idea. Placing her right arm behind her head, and her left hand on her hip, she turns slightly towards him and asks. "So you think I'm cute?"

Ranma can only stare at her as the book falls from his hands.

Bending her leg just a little to give him a little better view, she asks again. "Well... do you?"

Ranma s eyes are close to rolling back up into his head though if she read his posture right then his tongue should be hanging down and scraping the floor.

"Do you think I'm an un-cute..." she said with a slight pout. "Flatchested..." she accentuated that by pushing her chest out a little more. "Unsexy..." she said with a little sway in her hips... "Tomboy?"

From his position on the floor Ranma was panting hard just watching her and Akane knew it. It looks like I have his undivided attention

Gulping loudly and then wincing at the sound Ranma opened his mouth and said something... but there was no volume behind it.

"What?" She asked and cupped her hand behind her ear.

"...no..." he practically squeaked.

"Good" she said simply and with a quick turn she walked away from him trying hard not to fall over laughing.

Ranma was for the most part... several feet in the ground from the force of his face-fault. "...ouch..." he managed to say as his cute... sexy... and oh so much of a tease fianc e/wife Akane walked away. She turns and makes a comment to the stunned Ranma.

Well you did say after that doll incident that I was nicer when I was evil... cuter too... definitely more sexy right?

"Thaft... mth... tombth..." Ranma muttered.

"What was that?"

Ranma pulled himself up out of the hole. Giving her a grin he told her, "That's my tomboy..."

Instinctively, she wants to yell back but she thinks about what he said. He said my tomboy.'

Ranma, I

Akane don t ever change

Akane smiles at Ranma. Ranma I like you the way you are don t change on me either. She then blushes. I m flattered that you um like me the way I am but what if I was to change... like if I got a little taller

I could handle that Ranma said, not having a problem with that thought at all.

What if I were to... um... get... bigger..." she said while motioning towards her chest.

Ummm Ranma s face turned red as he looked at where she was motioning and thought about the question.

"Oh... I think I could handle that..." Ranma said with a slight bit of drool on his chin.

"Pervert..." she said with a saucy grin.

"Yeah, but I'm your pervert! Ain't I, tomboy?" Ranma replied back almost immediately.

"Don't you ever forget it ... Aaaah! ... Baka!" Akane realizes too late what she just said.

Ranma laughs at what Akane just said and she punches him in the arm.

I think I ll take my bath now I ll be back Ranma said as he quickly grabbed a change of clothes and headed out. But as he passed Akane he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek

Akane spends the entire time that Ranma is away thinking about that kiss and she s really happy that he s beginning to show some of his emotions to her. While in the bath, Ranma thinks about Akane

I guess we re both perverts now but at least we got an understanding. I think I really surprised her with that kiss

After Ranma finishes taking his bath, the two go for their daily hike. Ranma takes the initiative and holds her hand during the outing, which pleases Akane very much. The rest of the day is spent practicing Ranma tries out a few new tickle spots but fails to dislodge Akane when she glomps him. Despite the failure to find the correct spot both teens have fun and learn more about each other...

The next day has a very noteworthy incident happen during the day. Not every moment was spent on trying to get out of the dreaded Amazon glomp. Nor was it spent in quiet contemplation or reading. Instead, Ranma spent a lot of time practicing the art which this also gave him time away from Akane so that he could think. Unfortunately, it also had a few small bad points...

Just as Ranma finished his workout he saw a familiar form walking towards him.

"Um... hi Akane..."

"Ok I'm ready."

"Um... ready?"

"Well, let's do a little sparing, okay? I've ready for you to really show me how well you can fight"

"But..." he said and then sighed. He knew that it wouldn t be a long session

The sparing didn't last very long before Akane began to get frustrated and annoyed that he was just dodging her again.

"Come on Ranma! Fight me!"

"But..."

"Why won't you fight me? I'm a martial artist too!"

Ranma cringed at that. That one phrase was the one thing that annoyed him the most. "NO... you're not!" he said, though he thought he had only said it to himself.

"What..."

"Um..."

"I'm a martial artist! I was the best in Nerima before you arrived."

"NO you're not! You never were, Kuno was better. He just held back."

"What?" She asked dangerously.

"You never dedicated yourself to the art. All you do is break bricks and hit dummies, that's not practicing... that... that's..." he suddenly stopped as he realized that what he intended to be a mental rant, has in truth been said out loud. And the look on her face told him that he just hit her harder than he's ever hit Ryoga.

Ranma sat down on the ground heavily and sighed. The week had been going so well. And then just ten minutes ago he blew it, he insulted her. "Kuso..." he swore and kicked at the ground. "I... I'm such a baka..."

"You can say that again..." Akane said from a little distance away.

"I... I'm sorry..." he admitted. He hated apologizing, but for her he would swallow his pride. She fought for him... and she was going though all of this for him. It was the least he could do. "I... I didn't mean it... I..."

He blinked as he suddenly felt Akane drop down into his lap.

"I..."

"Ranma... it hurt."

"I know... I'm sorry I didn't mean it."

"It hurt a lot she said trying to hold back her tears. "If we keep this up then as soon as we get back home... then..." she left the rest hanging.

"Then we'll be at each others necks again." He responded sadly.

"Right... and I don't want that. We... we've been fighting for so long I'm tired of it."

"So am I... but..."

"But?"

"Um... what if I were to make it up to you?"

"Oh and how'd you do that?"

"Um... how about..." he stopped talking as he suddenly leaned in and started kissing her neck.

"Um... ah... I..." Akane tried to say something... anything.

"I thought..." he said as he kissed her neck again. "You wouldn't mind..." he drew out the next kiss drawing out a moan from her. "Me being at your neck..."

Unknown to Akane, Ranma was almost sweating bullets at how forward he was being. However, he was hoping that this would make up for his previous mistake.

Well, if you put it that way Akane wrapped her arms around him. Maybe I can forgive you

Ranma is about to say something when Akane presses her lips against him. She really likes the fact that he initiated this make out session. Ranma, despite his nervousness, continues to kiss Akane and then two spend quite some time kissing and holding each other close.

That night, after they re in their respective sleeping bags, Ranma feels Akane s hand slip into his as they prepare to go to sleep I guess she did forgive me

Day #6 is more of the same breakfast, teasing, hiking but the pair can begin to see changes in the way they re approaching each other. Both are less nervous around each other and are becoming more expressive with their feelings- yesterday s activities certainly proved that

Akane decides to take her morning bath before breakfast. While she s soaking in the water, Akane has some thoughts about Ranma.

'He didn't come see me? Why? Am I not that pretty, don t I look good? We had a lot of fun yesterday... I was hoping ' she paused in her mental questioning as she realized something else. 'I've been spending too much time around Auntie if I'm thinking he'd be peeking at me...'

After breakfast, Akane suddenly gets very serious and her expression changes. Ranma notices this and asks what s wrong

Ranma, we only have one day left and you still haven t figured it out

I know I know but I still got a few places left to try. Don t worry

Okay but if you don t beat me tonight, I ll have to tell you

Ranma sighs aloud. I know she s right I gotta figure this out what I need is something to motivate me even more

Ranma are you ready? Akane said, wanting to get in as much practice as was necessary to get Ranma s move down.

Before we start umm Ranma hesitates and stops speaking. I had a um question to ask you Man, she s gonna think I m a real pervert but she did promise me

Go ahead

Remember when you and I took those pictures of Nabiki

Akane instantly remembered that incident. Yeah what about it?

Well, umm do you remember what happened when I was in your room

Of course, silly I had you hide in the closet but for some reason, you couldn t move that Akane stops and her face turns red as she finally realizes why Ranma was slow to move during that incident.

Yeah you promised me that I could umm Ranma s voice drops off as he speaks his next words. See you in that lingerie again Ranma gulps.

Akane is to say the least surprised by his request. You want to see me in a full set of lingerie

I know it sounded perverted but Ranma said as he began to sweat bullets.

Akane quickly made her decision. Fine I don't have the same exact set with me but it's okay

Huh? Ranma was surprised by how quickly she responded.

Well I guess if it ll help you out then sure Akane paused and began thinking. I knew that Nabiki put this bra and panty set in here for a reason but I did show him the bra this morning so it s my fault for teasing him with it.

Ranma mentally prepared himself for the up and coming battle. Today it s all or nothing

I m ready when you are

Wo Ai Ni! Akane let forth her battle cry as she charged Ranma again.

The better part of the day is spent before Ranma finally stumbles upon what he needs to do. Aha! It was one of the easiest spots and I almost missed it

Ranma, come on you gotta figure this out

Got it!

Ranma moves his hands off of her back and onto her legs. He strains as he tries to reach his target. What s he doing? Akane thinks to herself.

I got you now!

Ranma begins his rapid tickling and almost immediately, Akane starts to loosen her grip. She tries desperately to hold on

Ranma you got it Akane says as she begins laughing uncontrollably. He finally realized it was my feet

Good now it s time to combine the old with the new

Ranma moves one of his hands back and starts to tickle Akane s armpit which causes her totally loose her grip on Ranma and fall to the ground. How d he figure that out? She wonders to herself.

It worked! I knew that book was good for something! Ranma proudly said.

Huh? What d it say?

Well, it said most people are ticklish where I was trying to tickle you before but once I found your real tickle spot, I just used it ta throw yah off

Akane grabs a nearby pillow and hits Ranma. "And here I thought you were reading Nabiki's manga's all this time."

Not the whole time Ranma confessed.

Akane leans her head on Ranma s shoulder. Why don t we make some dinner to celebrate?

Sounds good but then I wanna do something with yah are you up for some sparring?

Really? Akane felt the excitement building within her. Real sparring?

Of course

"REAL fighting?" Akane asks again, wanting to make sure he was committing to this.

"YES, real fighting..."

Ranma and Akane dig up the last of the prepared dinners they brought with and cook up some hearty soup and talk about sparring.

Look, I don t mind sparring with yah but you know I m gonna try and hit you for real Ranma said, concerned for Akane s safety.

I know that and I m a lot better then I was before I can handle it

I just don t wanna hurt you I ve Ranma s voice drops off. I ve hurt you too much in the past

Ranma Akane said as she thought about what he had just said. He s worried about me and I don t wanna hurt him, either. Both of us have been through a lot

Just for a little while? Akane said, compromising on the issue. I promise I won t hurt you too bad

Ranma smiles. Anything for my tomboy if you wanna spar, then we ll spar

I brought my gi with me and you ve always said it was my best outfit Akane said as she tried to tease Ranma a little more.

Yea... you look good in it... especially after you've been sweatin' a while... all covered in sweat... with yer neck just glistenin in the light... I... man it's hard ta think right when yer like that... I... oh crap..." Ranma began to get very nervous as he just told her that.

Hmm you do, huh? I bet that s why you really wanna spar with me

Umm no you re the one who wanted to spar

You re so gullible sometimes Akane said jokingly.

Ranma knows that she s not being mean and resumes eating. After he finishes his soup he carefully washes it out with the running water of the nearby creek, making sure not to get any cold water on him. Akane does the same thing and then heads into the tent.

No peeking Akane yelled from inside. I m changing into your favorite outfit

Ranma falls over onto his back groaning. "I'm never gonna live this down..."

As he got back to his feet, he resisted the urge to peek on her, though he did watch her silhouette as she changed clothes.

About a minute later, Akane comes out of tent. She s really excited about this and she s really at the skill level to have that belt Ranma thought as he stared at the black belt and bandana that Akane had worn in every sparring session since she won the fianc e battle.

I m ready! Akane said excitedly.

All right Ranma said as he got into a standard defensive position. Show me what yah got

Akane took a deep breath and started going after Ranma. Ranma for his part stayed on the defense for a few seconds before making a move against her. She quickly dodges it and Ranma comments on her move

Not bad

I learned a few things from that old pervert and so did you. I m surprised you didn t put them into your training routine like I did

So that s how she s dodging time to fight fire with fire

Ranma remembers some of Happosai s maneuvers and makes his attack. Akane can feel him hit her a few times she strikes back and tags him.

This goes back and forth for a while, Akane enjoys sparring with Ranma even though she isn t as experienced overall as he is.

Looks like I'm getting all sweaty Akane comments aloud.

"Ah... yea..." Ranma replied and tried not to notice too much. However the sweat was causing her gi to get damp and it was beginning to cling to her.

I wanna try one more move, Ranma

Sure

Akane goes on the attack and tries to find an opening. Ranma notices that she s not trying to him directly. What s she doing?

Before long, Akane touches her target and sends her attack rippling thru Ranma s clothing and soon Ranma is standing there with only his boxers on.

Nice boxers, Ranma Akane said with a slight blush in her cheeks.

I m gonna get yah for that! Ranma said, not appreciating the fact that he was just the victim of the Fabric Failure technique

Akane runs into the tent and tries to zip close the entrance to the tent, but Ranma is right behind her and manages to squeeze in before she finishes. He finishes zipping close the entrance and looks down at Akane, who is rolling around on top of her sleeping bag, laughing her head off

That wasn t funny

I thought it was Akane said as she continued to laugh about the situation.

Say, Akane since I did figure out where to tickle yah Ranma said, leading into something else that he had been thinking about at dinner.

Akane stops laughing. Oh yeah that

Well, can I umm Ranma s face goes very red. Can I see you in that set now?

Well I did say yes Akane pauses and looks at Ranma. Come here

Ranma sits down in front of Akane and suddenly feels his heart racing and his pulse pounding. This is worse then going into a fight

Akane is nervous as well and Ranma notices this. I gotta do this I never back down from a challenge!

Akane gently tugs on the belt of her gi and begins to reach for the inner ties Ranma is sweating bullets and trying not to drool in anticipation of what he s about to see

Akane resumes work on her gi the inner ties are soon unfastened and Ranma can see her cleavage as well as part of her bra

Ranma s eyes start to grow larger with each passing moment Akane now begins removing the loosened gi and then throws it to the side when she s done

Well what do you think so far? Akane said as she looked into Ranma s eyes. Ranma diverts his attention off of her chest and looks her in the eye

Umm pretty nice

I think this is my sexiest set

Uh-huh was about all Ranma could say to that, his eyes now looking down at Akane s curves and lacy black bra.

After taking a deep breath, she turns around... and starts to slip her pants down off one cheek then the other... before sliding her pants all the way down her legs and doing a little toe touching... before stepping out of her pants with some very exaggerated movements and giving him a very nice view of her back side...

Ranma finds himself looking at the ceiling about 20 minutes later... that is after waking up from passing out. Akane had knocked him out without even laying a finger on him. Ranma cursed his weakness aloud which got Akane s attention.

Oh, you re awake Akane said as she bent over, giving Ranma quite a good look at her chest.

Yeah I m umm sorry about that

I guess I was too much tomboy for you to handle Akane comments aloud to herself.

Ranma makes no comment in return. He sits up on the sleeping bag and tries to give her a total lookover without fainting again.

Trying again?

Yeah, I umm can t stop looking at yah

Well what part do you like best? Akane wriggled her toes and moved Ranma s attention down to her legs. I think I ve got nice legs

Very nice Ranma said as he admired her smooth legs.

Do you want to touch my legs? Akane said, feeling a little daring.

Umm sure Ranma replied after a moment s hesitation.

Akane sits down next to him and then offers her hand. He places his right hand into her left and she guides it down to the lower part of her leg. Let s start there Akane said before kissing Ranma on the cheek.

Mmm that feels good Akane thought as she moved Ranma s hand up her leg, stopping occasionally to kiss him.

That wasn t too bad she umm has very soft skin Ranma thought as her hand finally came to a stop near her upper thigh.  
Well, I can see that you like my legs but Akane stood up and began swinging her hips around a little and turned around for a moment, giving Ranma a nice view of her black lace panties and her butt

Umm that s nice too Ranma said.

Akane sits back down and then sticks her chest out a little bit, while doing a pose

I know you like my bra and I have a nice full figure, right?

Ranma is unable to respond for several seconds, he s too busy staring at her chest, memorizing every little detail about her bra and her body s curves

Ranma are you there?

Oh, um sorry you look very very Ranma stuttered and then his voice volume dropped to a near whisper. Sexy

Ranma Akane wraps her arms tightly around Ranma and snuggles up to his chest. Ranma hears her speak again a moment later, in a near whisper. You don t know how good that makes me feel inside

Ranma gently wraps his arms around Akane and lightly rubs her back as she continues to softly snuggle against him. Akane what would I do without her? I can t believe All Ranma had to do was look over at the blue hair or concentrate on the soft feeling of her skin to realize that this wasn t a dream. Both of them were in a very intimate position with only their underwear on

Akane was beginning to feel very comfortable, the gentle motions of Ranma s fingers on her back plus the warmth of his body gave her a feeling of comfort and contentment. I never thought that anyone could make me feel this way. Oh, Ranma

Akane begins to moan softly and Ranma begins to blush. He can feel the heat of her face against his body

Mmm Ranma you want to touch everything, don t you?

Huh? Ranma replied, not sure what she meant by that.

Well you touched my leg and you ve touched my breasts many times this past week Akane giggles.

Ranma nervously laughs. I umm guess you re right I umm wanted to see umm

I don t mind but just for a little bit Akane said, not wanting to end the wonderful feelings she was having overwhelm her. He does make me feel good but I don t want us to get too intimate and do something that we re not ready for

Ranma is surprised but happy with her reaction, continues to tenderly squeeze her behind, and runs his fingers along the soft fabric of her panties. About five minutes later, Akane pulls away from Ranma and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

Ranma it s been a long day Akane yawns.

Yeah

Ranma watches as Akane snuggles under the covers of her sleeping bag. Ranma thank you

Ranma goes over to his sleeping bag and gets under the covers. Akane slips her hand into his. Akane ummm thanks for

Akane squeezes his hand. Don t mention it I appreciate the real training

"Yeah, I thought about it and I realized that them Amazon's ain't gonna be pullin' any punches, so neither should we. We already know they don't give it a second thought when it comes to killin'"

The mood in the tent suddenly turns very somber. "Yeah, you're right... this training is deadly serious" is Akane's soft reply as she buries her head in his chest. "That's why I wanted real sparring"

"Now I know and yeah, I'll give yah what yah want"

"Thanks, Ranma. Except for you passing out, everything we did in the tent was fun... and now that I've done that once..."

"It won't be as hard the next time..." Ranma says, confirming that he was just as nervous as she was just a short while ago.

"Maybe we could..."

"Do this every night?" Ranma asks hopefully. Akane doesn't answer right away but he can feel the warmth of her blushing cheeks against his chest.

"Yes... I'm ready for the next step" is Akane's reply in a whisper.

"Really? I umm... yeah, I'm ready, too... this stuff makes me so nervous, though"

Akane continues to bare her soul in this moment of intimacy. "Me too- sometimes because of these feelings I don't know myself... and of course, men are confusing"

Ranma grins. "Ha... us confusing? What about women?"

"What about someone who could be both?" is Akane's quick retort.

The pig-tailed martial artist is not amused by that comment. "Not funny, Akane"

A smile forms on Akane's face as she turns to look up at Ranma. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself"

"Well, I'm tryin' to learn about you and your sense of humor so I'll let it pass..."

"Same here... this trip was really helpful in other ways besides the training- we learned a lot about each other this week"

"Sure did- and it was fun, too. I'm glad we figured out some good excercise and trainin' routines that we'll use everyday"

Akane is slightly confused. "How are we going to do that back home? We'll end up destroying the dojo!"

"Oh yeah, I kinda forgot about that- we'll have to tone it down a little, that's all" Ranma says, slightly embarrassed at missing that oversight.

"Before we go to bed, I have one more question"

"Okay, what is it?" the curious pig-tailed martial artist reply while looking down at his fiancee/wife.

"Did you learn anything... new about yourself?" Akane blushes and lowers her voice. "About what you want..."

"Ummm..." Ranma begins to realize what she means and blushes himself. After a few moments of honest reflection, he realizes that he has learned about what he wants from Akane and from himself. To be less nervous around her in intimate situations and when she flirts is the number one problem to deal with... but progress is being made.

"Of course- I want you" is the bold reply a moment later, causing Akane to swoon.

"Ranma, thank you- I want you, too. I want to be able to show you my soft side..."

"I was wondering if yah had one before we really started to get to know each other" Ranma honestly admits. "I guess I had to figure out what that meant for me when it comes to dealin' with yah... especially since you're my tomboy"

"Special tomboy... and only you get to get see this part of me. I'm not afraid anymore- and I guess I'd better recant on what I'd been saying about all boys" Akane says that last part with a giggle, remembering the way she used to think.

"Well, I guess we ain't all jerks..."

"Nope- so keep up the good work, my handsome baka"

Not knowing what to do next, Ranma decides to rely on his feelings at the moment. He moves his face towards Akane... who responds in kind, gently pressing her lips against his. It isn't long before the pair exchange deeper kisses and progressive get into the moment even more.

Good night Akane

Night, Ranma thanks for the good night kiss. Be sure to help me get ready for bed...

Akane relaxes and soon falls asleep, waiting until Ranma unhooks her bra to allow her eyes to close. 'What will happen next? I'm nervous and excited at the same time'

Ranma silently observes his fianc e/wife I can t believe that she let me do all those things. If that was the old Akane, I d have been flying on da first touch she really has calmed down a lot. I guess I should try and be less nervous with her

Before falling asleep himself, he tries to set his mental alarm clock, hoping that he can get early enough to try out something that he knows Akane will like

End Part B 


	25. Chapter 25: Forest Adventures Part C

Start Part C

Akane flutters her eyes as a cool breeze goes across her face. The damp morning air sends shivers through her body. "Why am I so cold?" She opens her eyes… and sees nothing but trees in front of her. A slim sliver of light is visible in the distance… 'Where am I?'

"Oh, you're awake…" Ranma said as he looked down at his fiancée. Akane suddenly realizes that she's sitting on the ground… and Ranma is sitting right behind her. A black blanket covers both of them and she notices Ranma's arms around her waist, holding the blanket around to her…

"Ranma, where are we?"

"On top of that mountain that we went to on our first hiking trip… I wanted to umm… watch the sunrise with you…" Ranma said as he fidgeted a little.

"Ranma…" Akane said softly. 'I didn't know… that he could be romantic like this…'

"Umm… here it comes…" Ranma said, pointing at the sun which begins its slow ascent across the horizon.

Akane says nothing but reaches out and holds his hands. The two watch with awe the magnificent sight in front of them… it wasn't very often that either of them was up this early on the morning. Ranma is glad that Akane likes his idea… and Akane likes seeing a side of Ranma that she hadn't seen much of before.

After the sun rises, Akane turns her head and looks at Ranma, who's face has the same orange-red hue as the sun they had just watched rise. "That was wonderful…"

"Umm… glad you liked it…"

"How did you get me up here without waking me up?"

"I wrapped you in the blanket and hiked up here… I tried not to wake you up on the way… I didn't want to umm… spoil the surprise…"

"Ah…"

"Did you want me to umm… carry you back down to the tent?" Ranma said as he watched Akane's smile grow even larger.

"Sure!"

Ranma stands up and then Akane climbs onto his back. Ranma secures the blanket around her before beginning the hike back down to the tent. On the way, Akane decides to have a little fun with Ranma…

"Looks like you're touching my legs again…" Akane said, drawing Ranma's attention to that fact.

"Umm… yeah… I guess I am… they are kinda smooth"

"Can't get enough of me, can you?" Akane said softly.

Ranma is silent for a few seconds and then speaks. "No…"

"Good…" Akane says as she giggles.

Ranma realizes at that moment how truly happy he must be making Akane feel. 'She didn't laugh or giggle too much before… but now she's doing it all the time. She makes me feel good inside, too…'

After a short hike, the two arrive back at the tent. Ranma gently bends down and allows Akane to let go of his back. She sits down on the sleeping bag and motions Ranma to do the same.

"I wanted to thank you for earlier…" she says as Ranma sits down.

"Okay…"

"Wo Ai Ni!" Akane said as she launched a surprise glomp attack. Ranma was to say the least, surprised by what she just did.

"What was that for?" Ranma said as he began to sweat. He was now fully dressed… but Akane was still in her lingerie. Ranma can feel the warmth of her body against him… and the soft fabric of her bra rubbing against his chest. His eyes cannot help but look down at her chest…

"I'm just thanking you… I'd figure you'd like another glomp… given my umm… state of dress…" Akane said as she looked into Ranma's eyes. 'I'm becoming such a pervert… but this is fun… and I know he likes it, too…'

"Yeah… it's a nice umm… way to thank me… but I wanted to do something before we leave kinda like this" Ranma said as he moved his eyes up to look into Akane's. The two slowly move towards each other and kiss with an increasing passion, sinking down to the floor of the tent.

"Ranma" is all Akane can say as he begins gently kissing her neck. "Ooh..."

"I wanna thank you for such a fun week together... and you know it'd be hard to do this at home" is Ranma's reply before switching to the other side of her neck, his formerly idle hands move to squeeze her behind.

"Mmm... we need more time alone... my perverted baka..."

Ranma pulls back for a second and takes a long stare at the upper half of Akane's body. "Tomboy... don't stop... you know, being perverted and sexy, I kinda like it..."

"I like it, too- the hardest part was admitting it, but you are the right one for me"

Ranma smiles. "Same here, you know I ain't good with this kinda thing but I'm trying"

Akane nods her head. "I can see that, please keep being bold"

On that thought, Ranma figures out a plan. "Umm... how much time do we have till we gotta go?"

Lifting her right arm, Akane takes a look at her watch. "About an hour until we need to leave, but we both need to clean up, too... and take down the tent"

"That won't take too long"

Motioning Ranma closer, Akane knows what's on his mind. She wraps her arms around him once again and begins passionately kissing her fiancee, their tongues quickly vieing for dominance as both lovers make the best use of their remaining time along together.

'I'll never forget this week together…' is the common thought in both teens' minds as the makeout session eventually comes to a close and they work on getting ready to leave, cleaning up the campsite and repacking their belongings. It isn't long before the duo is soon making their way back down to Nerima…

While Ranma and Akane are on the train back to Nerima, over at the Tendo house, Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne stop by. Kasumi greets them and leads them into the front room… where Nodoka, Soun, and Genma are sitting down and watching TV.

"Nice to see you again, Elder Cologne…" Nodoka says as she turns her head. "Oh you even have my other daughter and her husband with you…"

"Yes… they heard Ranma was coming back today from his training trip with Akane. Both will definitely make good additions to the tribe…" Cologne said as she sat down.

"Ranma spend whole week alone with Akane. They do more then learn new techniques, yes?" Shampoo commented.

"Don't say things like that…" Mousse said, turning red.

"I'm sure my manly son will soon step into his role and bring me lots of grandchildren!" Nodoka said as both Soun and Genma moan aloud. "My other daughter stopped by earlier this week… I gave her some books…"

Cologne nods and then hands Nodoka a scroll. "You asked for something of this nature?"

Nodoka takes the scroll and opens it up. "Yes… this will do nicely… and I'd like some of those incense sticks that helped Mousse with his... hesitations about certain activities"

"Of course... whoever smells this will live out their most vivid and truest feelings in their dreams- if you can dream it, then that's half the battle to actual doing it..." the elder says with a chuckle.

"Great-grandmother mention a surprise for Ranma and Akane on way over here…" Shampoo said, remembering something she heard Cologne say earlier.

"Oh yes, what was that surprise?" Cologne asked Nodoka.

"Follow me…" Nodoka said as she stands up. Genma and Soun do the same… this was one thing they wanted to get some credit for doing…

The group goes upstairs and stops in front of Akane's room. Mousse is the first one to notice the change, even before they enter the room. "You're moving them in together?"

"Yes… it's about time my son became a man…" Genma laughs aloud.

"My thoughts exactly Tendo…" Soun said soon after.

"Hi-yah! This idea is what great-grandmother do after I got married… is very good to be with airen in same bed…"

"Well, since Akane is part of your tribe… and Ranma has touched her chest to escape… my son has confirmed his desire to marry Akane…" Nodoka said with pride. "Shampoo is right… Ranma should be with his wife…"

Soun opens the door and everyone walks into the room. "Notice anything… different?"

"You remove Akane's bed… and replace it…" Shampoo said, noticing the major change in the room.

"A giant futon, huh?" Mousse said as he looked down at the floor.

"Of course… when they get married for real, then my husband and I will get them a king-sized bed. For now, this will be fine…" Nodoka said, pointing at the futon.

Kasumi walks into the room a moment later. "Oh my… you're showing off their new room…" she said with a blush.

"Of course…" Soun said with pride. "Since Nodoka here has decided to stay with us… she requested that she be alone with her husband and this was the natural choice for where to move Ranma…"

"Yes, but that's…" Kasumi realizes that no one there will agree with her view on that… and she doesn't want any info about her relationship with Dr. Tofu to "Slip out" as a result of a confrontation. She excuses herself and heads down to the kitchen. On the way down, she notices Ranma and Akane putting their packs down on the floor of the front room.

"We're back…" Ranma announced.

"It's good to see both of you… how was your trip?" Kasumi asked, curious about how their week had gone.

"It was fun… and Ranma and I got our techniques down…" Akane replied a moment later.

"I'm glad…" Was Kasumi's heartfelt response to hearing those words.

"Hi-yah! Ranma and Akane back already!" Shampoo said as she peered into the room. Kasumi excuses herself and heads into the kitchen.

"Hi Shampoo…" Ranma said as he opened the door, not knowing what to expect for a reaction from the bubbly Amazon.

Shampoo runs towards Akane and hugs her "sister"…

"Good to see Amazon sister… you use technique on Ranma, yes?"

"Yeah… many times… until he figured out another way out of it…" Akane said as a slight blush crept across her face.

"That means that Ranma had to touch your chest… he is now airen, yes?

"Huh?" Was Ranma's response a moment later.

"Yes… I'm now Akane Saotome… at least, unofficially…" Akane said as the blush on her face became more intense. Ranma is on the verge of passing out…

Akane turns and looks at Ranma. "Remember when I glomped you the first time?" Ranma nods his head. "After you touched me… by Amazon law, you did become my… my… husband…"

With that, Ranma passes out and falls to the floor. Kasumi, who had been silently listening to the conversation from the kitchen, hears the "Thud" and comes back into the front room.

"Oh my… what happened to Ranma?" Kasumi worriedly asked.

"He couldn't handle the news…"

"What do you mean by that?" Kasumi asked, curious about what her sister meant.

"Akane now Ranma's airen… Akane said Ranma touch her many, many times on trip…"

Kasumi blushes. "Oh my… Akane… you didn't…" Kasumi tries to divert her mind away from the conclusion she was about to say aloud… but fails.

Akane waves her hands in the air. "No, no… nothing like that… Shampoo just meant that he had to touch me to get out of that glomp that we've been practicing…"

"Oh… that's okay then…" Kasumi said, relieved with her sister's answer.

"You not consummate marriage with Ranma?" Shampoo asked, wondering why she'd didn't truly make Ranma her husband.

Akane's face turns a bright red and she just shakes her head and utters a barely audible "No…"

"I guess my gifts didn't get used then…" A voice says a moment later.

"Nabiki!" Is Akane's annoyed response a moment later.

"You give gifts for couple?" Shampoo asked, curious about what Nabiki meant.

"Sure…" Nabiki goes over to Shampoo and whispers what she got them for the trip. Shampoo nods her heads and mumbles something about that being a good idea.

"Shampoo never hear of such thing… maybe I try later with airen…"

"The best thing I did, though, was switching out Akane's regular underwear for her lingerie…" Nabiki said with pride. Kasumi, feeling very embarrassed about all of this talking about those things… leaves the room again and tries to resume making lunch.

"Well…" Akane starts to speak.

This catches Shampoo's and Nabiki's attention. "Go on sis… you were about to say something…"

"I umm… did tease Ranma with that lingerie… and…" Akane said, not believing that she was even talking about this with anyone. 'What am I doing?' she wonders.

"Good job sis… I knew you could do it…" Nabiki said as she nudged her sister with her elbow. "Did you show him that sexy black bra and panty set of yours?"

Akane silently nods her head. "Well Ranma did ask to see me in them..."

"Sister becoming a tease… is good idea, make airen appreciate you more…"

"Maybe you and I should go shopping again… now that you're actually showing off your lingerie, maybe we could get you some real nice stuff for you to show to Ranma…" Nabiki says as she watches her sister's face become red as the sun.

Mousse enters the room a moment later. "Shampoo, where have you been?"

"Shampoo welcoming back Amazon sister and Ranma… Akane now Ranma's airen…"

Ranma stirs and looks up… and find's Akane's face looking back at him. After he passed out, Akane rested his head on her lap. "How long was I out?"

"Just for a few minutes…" Akane said, giggling at Ranma's inability to handle certain "Topics"…

Mousse looks over at Ranma. "You sly dog… Shampoo said you and Akane…"

Shampoo quickly interrupts Mousse. "Mousse… Ranma only touch Akane… no other activities yet…"

"Oh…"

Ranma looks at Akane with a grin. "Maybe both of us should just pass out…"

"I couldn't help but overhear that my son wanted to see his new wife in her lingerie…" A voice says from nearby.

"Oh no…" Akane and Ranma mumble simultaneously.

Nodoka enters the room a moment later, followed closely by Cologne, Soun, and Genma.

"Good job boy… I knew there was hope for you!" Genma says proudly.

Soun starts crying. "My baby girl is becoming a woman…"

"There, there…" Nodoka says as she reaches for some tissue.

"Looks like you two both became perverts…" Nabiki comments to no one in particular.

"Nabiki!" Ranma and Akane say at almost the same time.

"How was your trip?" Cologne asks Akane. "Did you master the Amazon glomp?"

"Yes… and Ranma finally figured out how to escape yesterday… I mean, without ummm…" Akane stops speaking.

"I understand my dear… I'm glad that you two had fun…"

"Elder Cologne brought over a gift for you two…" Nodoka said as she handed Ranma an old scroll.

"What's this for?" Ranma said as he examined the outside of the scroll.

"It's for you and Akane… go ahead and open it up…" Nodoka says, trying to encourage her son to take a look at it.

Ranma opens up the scroll and then both Ranma and Akane start reading some of the lines to themselves…

"Martial Arts… Inter… what?"

Ranma and Akane exchange quick glances and then look at Ranma's mom.

"What is this?" A distressed Akane asks a moment later.

"A gift for you two… when you're truly ready to become one with the tribe…" Cologne chuckles.

"Ranma?" Akane says as she looks at her "Husband"…

"Yeah… I think it's time…" He says in return.

With that, both Ranma and Akane pass out…

'Pretty clever guys…' Nabiki thinks to herself. 'I'll have to remember that one… in case Kuno and I get into a bind…'

"Oh no… Ranma and Akane are out cold…" Nodoka said as she took a closer look at the unconscious couple.

Shampoo looks at the unconscious couple then looks over at Nabiki. Both get a gleam in their eyes and smile evilly. Mousse feels a shiver up his spine as the two girls converge on the unconscious pair. After seeing what they were doing, Nodoka beams a happy smile and lends a hand… or two. After being carried upstairs, the two are stripped down to their underwear and placed in their new futon.

"I'm sure they'll love their new futon…" Nodoka said to her two "helpers"…

"I'm sure they will… but I have one more idea. Shampoo… can you help me for a second?" Nabiki said with a gleam in her eye.

"Shampoo like Nabiki's thinking…" She said, instantly knowing what the girl meant by where she was motioning.

Nodoka watches as the two girls move Ranma into a new position and then cover both with the blanket. "I think our job is done…"

"Sounds good… let's get some lunch!" Nabiki said as she rubbed her stomach.

The three women leave the room and head downstairs to eat lunch. Kasumi had set everything up… but was dismayed to hear that Ranma and Akane wouldn't be eating with them. The men are curious about what happened upstairs but the three women don't say a word about it to them. Shampoo whispers what they did to Cologne and she nods her head.

Nabiki finishes her food and excuses herself. "I have to go… I'm going shopping with Kuno… I'll see everyone later…"

After exchanging goodbyes with everyone present, Nabiki makes her way out of the house. Only when she's on the street and walking towards Kuno's place does she breath a sigh of relief. 'Whew! That was fun… but still, I didn't want to hang around too long… with Ranma and Akane out, I was sure to become the next target…'

Before arriving at Kuno's house, Nabiki has an idea. She changes course and heads over to Ukyo's café and tells her that Ranma and Akane are back from their trip. Ukyo thanks her and Nabiki continues her journey… and chuckles about what she knows will happen when Ukyo hears about all of this.

Back in the Tendo house, Ranma starts to stir. For some reason, he feels very comfortable, as if his head is resting against a soft pillow. He nuzzles his head into the pillow and is surprised to hear a slight moan.

'What was that? Pillows don't moan… I guess I'd better get some more sleep then…'

As Ranma goes to move the pillow his left hand notices something… unusual. 'This pillow is… warm? It feels lacy…' Ranma moves his left hand around on the fabric… and then his eyes shoot wide open. 'Oh shit…' Once again, Ranma hears a soft moan of pleasure…

He turns over, his left hand still in place and realizes that he's on top of Akane… and she's in her lingerie again. One look down and he realizes that he's down to his boxers… and his left hand is on her bra and is cupping her right breast.

'Am I dreaming or is my hand on Akane's…' Ranma blushes and then he moves his hand up and down... left and right... squeezing and releasing... just to make sure that it is... what his hand is telling him it is.

"Mmm… Ranma…" Ranma hears Akane moan as a result of what he's doing… and he immediately stops, though he can't seem to move his hand off of her.

'I'm dead… but I can't move my hand… damn it!' Ranma starts to get nervous, knowing that Akane will wake up any second and probably kill him for touching her like that.

Akane's eyes flutter a few moments later. "R-Ranma? Is that you?"

"Uh yeah…" Is about all Ranma can manage to say.

"I just had this dream… you were…" Akane blushes. "Touching me…"

"Oh, really?" Ranma said as he tried to move his hand… but it still wouldn't budge. Akane rubs her eyes and tries to clear her vision. "What happened to us?" she inquires.

'Damn it, move hand, move!' Ranma thought urgently. "I dunno Akane…"

"I feel cold for some reason… I feel like I only have…" Akane's words stop and she notices that Ranma's body is over hers… and he's in his boxers.

"What happened to your clothes?"

Ranma looks down at Akane… and then her eyes slowly move down his arm and realize where one of his hands' currently is. 'This isn't a dream… is it? We're both in our underwear… again…'

"Akane, I umm…" Ranma said as he tried to move his hand off of her chest. 'Finally!' he thinks as his hand slides off of her bra… causing Akane to feel a moment of pleasure.

'That was real… I know it is… I felt that when he touched me to get out of the glomp…' Akane starts staring at Ranma and he prepares himself for a verbal and/or physical assault by Akane.

Suddenly the house shook with a loud scream... though the expected 'pervert' was not the word screamed. Shampoo and Cologne both nodded their heads at the appropriateness as they all heard Akane yell... "AIREN!"

"Akane! What are you doing?" Ranma said as once again, he found himself in the Amazon glomp.

"You touched me for real… so you're really my husband now. That was more then just for the training- didn't you just hear me call you airen?" Akane said with a smile.

"And here I thought you were gonna pound me for touching you like that…"

"No… Ranma, I'm trying not to do that anymore…" Akane said softly.

"Yeah… neither am I… I don't want it to be like it was before between us…"

"Ranma… there's one thing I want to hear before I let go of you…"

"What's that?" Ranma said with a mix of fear and curiosity.

"I want you… to call me…" Akane blushes. "Your wife… I know we're not ready for the real thing yet… but we are married in the Amazon sense…"

Ranma is silent for a moment and then decides to tease Akane.

"Then I guess I better get rid of my old wife if you wanna be my new one..." Ranma said with a playful grin.

"Old wife...?" Akane asks, confused.

"Yea... she was this really annoying tomboy... short hair, built like a brick, violent, short tempered, quick to judge… but she had he cutest smile when you could get one from her. She'd even go out of her way to save me… but I like my new wife a lot better…"

"Why?" Akane asks breathless...

"Because my old wife would've killed me if I did this..."

Ranma then moves quickly and kisses Akane on the lips...

"I bet she would have…" Akane said softly. "The word 'pervert' would be heard halfway across town…"

"And I'd be flying through the air…" Ranma quickly added.

"Instead I'm flying on cloud nine..." Akane mumbled.

"Huh?" Ranma said, not catching what she said.

"Nothing…" Akane said as she nuzzled her body against his. "Hold me…"

"Umm… sure…" Ranma said as he wraps his arms around her. All is silent for a few moments… until Ranma realizes something.

"Akane, we're…"

"What is it, Ranma?"

"We're… in our room…"

"WHAT?" Akane yelled. "You're right… where the hell is my bed?"

"It's gone… and in its place, you two have a brand new futon!"

Ranma jumped and ended up clinging to Akane as both of them were now looking at Nodoka and wondering how long she's been there.

"Wait a second… you said 'futon'" Ranma says in reply.

"That's right! From now on, this room and its futon are for Ranma and Akane Saotome! I feel so proud of my son and his new wife…" Nodoka says, wiping a tear of joy from her eye.

"You got rid of my bed…" Akane mumbled to herself, still not believing it to be true. 'I was looking forward to sleeping on a REAL bed… after a week of camping and now this happens…'

"Don't worry Akane, I'm sure my manly son will make you feel comfortable in this futon…"

"MOM!" Ranma cried out, embarrassed to death about what was happening.

"I'll let you two talk for a while…" Nodoka said as she turned towards the door.

"Have you seen my sister Nabiki yet?" Akane asks before Nodoka gets too far.

"Oh my other daughter-in-law is with that manly samurai and they're trying for children as well! Isn't it great! Your kids will have kids their own age to play with!"

Ranma and Akane blinked... and shared one thought. 'Nabiki... is with Kuno... and trying for kids?' The two looked at each other and made a disgusted face, 'Naw... never gonna happen...' they thought.

"Well mom... I know one thing..."

"What that dear?" Nodoka asked sweetly.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to think about sex ever again after imagining... that..."

"Oh! My son so you've already had sex! And here I thought you'd die a virgin!" Nodoka says with a sigh of relief.

"MOM!"

"When your father informed me of how little chance you've had to be with a girl I was beginning to worry, but it seems my fears were unjustified!"

"I didn't mean it like that, Akane and I haven't done that yet…" Ranma says, almost pleading with his mom to stop jumping to conclusions about him and Akane.

"And I was hoping for more grandchildren… oh well. I'm sure you two will get together soon…" With that, Nodoka turns and leaves the room. Ranma and Akane breath a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad that's over with… how long do yah think she was there?" Ranma asked.

"I don't want to know…" Was Akane's immediate reply.

Ranma moves his hands around Akane's back and realizes that she's once again in her lingerie only… Akane also realizes that Ranma is down to his boxers… again.

"Akane, I…"

"You want a better look at me?" Akane said teasingly. "How about this?"

Akane pulls away from Ranma, letting him get a better look at her bra and cleavage. "What do you think of this bra? I think it makes my figure look… fuller…"

Ranma nods his head. "Yeah… umm… it's really nice and you um… fill it out well…"

"Aiya... Sister too too cute... but need to undo clasp for better show."

"ACK! Shampoo!" Ranma shouted.

"What?" she replied back.

Akane sighed. "I'm beginning to miss camping already..."

"Airen like it when you undo clasp, Shampoo know from experience…" Shampoo said and then winked at Akane.

"Is it me, or did everyone get perverted while we were gone?" Ranma says to Akane.

"Shampoo same as Shampoo always is."

"Um... right..." Ranma added.

"But everyone hope that Akane and Ranma finally learn to break bed springs as mother say."

Not a word was heard in reply. It was so quiet, you could hear Akane blinking in disbelief…

"Shampoo go back downstairs so sister and airen can have time together…" With that, Shampoo leaves the room and closes the door behind her.

"You know what Ranma, I think you're right…" Akane replied back after Shampoo is safely out of range.

Ranma gets up and starts looking around the room. "Anyone else hiding in here?"

Not satisfied with the answer of silence, Ranma carefully looks around the room and finds no one else in hiding. "Looks like it's just the two of us…"

"Well that's a relief…" Akane said as she walked towards her clothes, which where in a pile on the floor. "I'm going to get dressed… again"

"Wait…" Ranma said, causing her to stop just short of the clothes pile. "Before we get dressed, I…"

"What is it Ranma?" Akane said, curious about what he was about to say.

"Can I… look at you for a second… before yah get dressed? I really umm… like what you're wearing…"

"Sure…" Akane said and then began doing various poses for him, showing off her legs, butt, and chest. "Not bad for a tomboy, huh?"

"You're my tomboy… and you look great…" Ranma said, blushing with each word.

Akane places a kiss on Ranma's cheek and then reaches down for her clothes. Ranma finds his clothes and then the two of them get dressed. They go downstairs and find Kasumi in the kitchen cooking…

"Smells good…" Ranma said as he sniffed the air.

"Oh, thank you… are you two hungry?" Kasumi asked happily.

"Sure…" Akane said, rubbing her stomach.

"Why don't you two have a seat and I'll bring you some lunch…" Kasumi said as she stirred the soup she was working on.

Ranma and Akane head into the front room and sit down at the table. About a minute later, Shampoo enters the room… followed by Ukyo and Ryoga.

"Ranma!" Ukyo exclaims, happy to see her brother.

Ukyo gives Ranma and hug and then gives her sister Akane one as well. Ryoga silently sits down at the table and avoids looking at Akane. Ukyo sits down next to Ryoga and then Shampoo sits on the other side.

"So, how was your trip?" Ukyo eagerly asks the newly returned couple.

"It was nice…" Ranma answered. "It took me a while, but I think I got my new move down…"

"Being away from the house for a week and being all alone… it was definitely… different…" Akane says softly.

"Ah…" Ukyo thinks about her next question. "Can I see your move, Ranma? I heard it was some variant of what Mousse used on Shampoo here…"

"Umm… sure…" Ranma says with some hesitation. "That means you get to see Akane do her move, too…"

"Okay, I think I can handle that…" Akane giggles. 'I've only done this, what 25 times in the last week… I think I've got it down to a science…'

"Ready Akane?" Ranma says, nodding his head.

Akane responds by launching her glomping attack, pining Ranma down to the ground and pressing her chest against him.

"Hi-yah! Sister do move just right… only two ways out… but only one feel real good…" Shampoo said as a slight blush crept over her face.

Ryoga notices what Akane's doing to Ranma and pictures in his mind Ukyo doing the same thing to him. 'That'd feel so good… especially with her… chest against me like that…'

"Okay… I can see Ranma's pinned down…" Ukyo said as she observed the situation. "Now how do you get out of glomp? Besides, umm… the way Shampoo told me about…"

A grin forms on Ranma's face. "Just watch…"

Ranma unleashes his tickle variant of the "Chestnuts Over an Open Fire" maneuver and begins tickling Akane's feet and under her arms…

Everyone at the table watches as Akane's grip loosens and she eventually lets go, the laughter has overtaken her…

"I came up with that one after seeing Mousse use that kinda move on Shampoo…" Ranma said to Ukyo, who was mentally replaying what Akane did in her mind.

"Oh… yeah… I can see that…" Ukyo replied a moment later.

"You want to learn move, yes?" Shampoo said, noticing the look on Ukyo's face.

"Well, umm…" The chef's face turned a bright red as she thought about the idea.

"All Amazons must learn maneuver, is required technique to know…" Shampoo said as Ukyo began to sweat.

"Really?" Ukyo said with some hesitation.

"Oh, don't be afraid… it's a lot of fun…" Akane chimed in.

"I… I guess…" Ukyo said and Ryoga felt his pulse quicken in the hopes that what he was just thinking about would come true.

"Shampoo can use dojo for training, is okay yes?" Shampoo said as she looked at Akane.

"Go ahead…"

"Umm… we'll be back…" Ukyo said as she stood up. Ryoga does the same and the two follow Shampoo out of the room. Kasumi enters the room a moment later and places a bowl down in front of Ranma and Akane…

"Lunch is served… I hope you enjoy it…"

"Of course, your cooking is the best…" Akane said as she began to eat.

"Thanks…" Ranma said as he started eating.

Kasumi excuses herself and goes back to her room. All this talk about sex, couples, and marriage during the day makes her think. 'Today was worse then usual…' she thinks as she sighs aloud. A picture of her and Dr. Tofu sits on a nearby desk… she reaches for it and glances at it for a moment before lowering it to her chest. She mutters one word to herself before falling asleep on her bed… "Tofu…"

Back in the front room, Ranma starts eating at his normal pace... then suddenly slows down. Akane watches him as he takes a bite of the food and seems to chew on it and to her it looks like Ranma thinking about something.

"Strange..." he muttered almost too soft for anyone to hear. That is unless someone happen to be paying a lot of attention to him.

"What's strange... it tastes good." Akane said, wondering what we meant by that.

"Huh... well... there's... I… its like I can taste somethin'... but I'm not sure what it is..."

"You can taste something at the speed you eat?"

"Ha ha..." he said in annoyance. "Yea I taste something... but... I've tasted this on our trip too..."

Akane blinks and looks at the food. There is no oatmeal… no brown sugar... no cinnamon... nothing that she did... was used in this food. "Really?" Taking a few bites she tastes it like he was doing but then frowns. "I don't taste anything different."

The two resume eating and Akane tries to figure out what Ranma was talking about. From a distance, Nodoka observes the pair and wonders if tonight would be a good night to try out her "surprise", given the progress they've made. 'A gentle push could be just the spark they need... and then if it works, my daughter and her boyfriend will be next'

During the lunch break, Nodoka thinks about other things and realizes that her daughter should do the same trip as her son, the bonding gained would be just as good as a week's martial arts training. Before she can say anything, however, Happosai comes bounding in, a large sack on his back...

"Oh, it's Master Happosai"

"I'm back from another haul... and I see lunch is served" is his reply, his nose locking onto the smell coming from all the food. "All that work has made me quite hungry"

"Yeah, it's hard work stealing women's underwear..." Ranma mutters under his breath.

The old pervert puts the sack down on the ground. "Sometimes it is, don't knock what you don't understand, boy"

Ranma dimisses that thought. "Whatever"

Not wanting the situation to get worse, Nodoka decides to be a peacebroker and invites the Master to the table.

"You should join us for lunch"

Happosai grins. "Don't mind if I do..."

The four teens exchange looks and wonder how long this lunch will last... and if they can getaway at all as he sits down next to Ranma.

"I'll get you some lunch..." Nodoka says before excusing herself. While he waits, Happosai tries some small talk, eventually the topic of the week long trip comes up.

"So Ranma, did you see anything interesting up in the mountains?"

Expecting a perverted question, Ranma is momentarily caught off guard by that and has to think of an answer. "Hmm, well, we saw some cool trees when we went hiking"

"And a nice sunrise" Akane adds.

"It's always good to appreciate nature" Happosai says with a nod, taking note of the chests of the two females at the table, disappointed that Shampoo was on her way out as he was returning from his haul.

"Of course they also found each other..." Nodoka says with a smile as she hands Happosai a bowl of soup.

"About time, I swear you two are the most stubborn martial artists on earth..."

Ukyo and Ryoga cannot help but giggle, Ranma and Akane don't take too kindly to the comment.

"What do you know about finding someone?" is Ranma's curt reply.

"More then you think, I've been around for a long time, you know" is his quick reply to that.

Noticing that Ranma had just finished eating, Akane forms a plan of escape. "Ranma and I are going out... shopping"

Liking the fact that her son just got back but still wants to spend every free moment with Akane, she cannot help but encourage that thought. "Have fun then"

Happosai isn't going to let them get away so easily, however...

"Don't forget about tonights training- be in the dojo at 7 and in uniform..."

All of the teens sigh aloud and Akane just shrugs her shoulders. "Yeah, seven... we'll be there..."

"You two have fun" Ukyo says as the two finally leave to make their escape. Nodoka, seeing the chance to talk with her daughter appear again, takes it.

"Did you two see the mood Ranma and Akane were in? That and they want to spent every moment with each other"

"Sure, I saw it, Ranma-honey was smiling at Akane and she was eyeing him" is Ukyo's reply.

"Looked like they were happy, Akane didn't even have that look on her face when she saw me" is Ryoga's reply, refering to the tension between him and Akane over his past actions.

Seeing where Nodoka is leading this idea, Happosai decides to help.

"Looks like these two could use their own camping trip..."

Ukyo likes the idea but quickly curbs her enthusiasm in order not to sound perverted or too eager. "Really? I mean, ummm..."

"I am an experienced camper" Ryoga offers, making the plan seem something both want to do.

"You two should take a week then and learn that same technique and strengthen your own bonds, I've already noted one thing that you two need to work on besides the move"

"Oh?" Ryoga wonders aloud.

"Ukyo seems to be a little hesitant about her boyfriend touching her behind"

Happosai begins laughing aloud and Ukyo blushes- Ryoga turns away as his face turns red.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing... nothing at all... I'll see you at seven, Ukyo..."

With that, Happosai bounds out of the room, taking his sack of lingerie with him. The two teens relax a little, though with Nodoka there the "fun" continues...

"I think you should two should go home and get ready for your trip, I'll make some arrangements here and I'll see Ukyo back here at seven for her training"

"Okay mom, thanks... but who's going to watch the store?" the curious Ukyo asks.

"I was thinking of alternating coverage between myself and your friend Tsubasa, who watched it before for you... he did a good job, right?"

Ukyo nods her head. "Yeah, the customers were happy..."

"Then I'll make the arrangements then..."

With that, Nodoka gets up and leaves the room, leaving the pair alone. They exchange glances and decide to get going... the whole way back home they talk about this new "adventure" and what it entails...

"You ain't gonna think I'm a pervert during this training, I've gotta touch your..."

The chef blushes. "Yeah, I know... don't worry, I won't hit you"

"Good..."

"I'm actually looking forward to camping with you, it'll be fun and more in your element- that hotel was nice but it's not really either of our styles"

Ryoga grins. "True... I guess you'll see me in my element then"

Saying nothing, Ukyo takes her boyfriends' hand and begins walking faster, pulling him along as the need to get home suddenly rises. When they get back preperations are begun for their trip, the camping gear is quickly packed due to its placement in one room of the building...

"I guess I got all my wondering stuff ready..."

Ukyo looks at the backpacks and nods her head. "Yeah sugar, we're ready... I just want to pack a portable stove so I can cook for us on my trip"

Ryoga likes the sound of that. "That sounds good, I love your cooking!"

Ukyo winks at Ryoga. "I know you do... I'm sure you've had your share of camping food..."

"Yeah, definitely... let's get our clothes packed and then I'll run the place while you go over and train with the other girls"

"Just promise me you won't get lost" Ukyo says with a giggle.

Ryoga rolls his eyes. "I don't get lost in the house..."

"Fair enough, let's get ready..."

Dinner time soon rolls around in Nerima and then around 7 P.M. Happosai's training class begins, exploring yet another perverted martial art, though no clothes shredding this time, much to the relief of the women who are tired off the old man trying to use them as his own personal peep show. After the training both Ranma and Akane clean up and take seperate baths, each one working on their homework while the other is soaking. Akane puts on her yellow pajamas after finishing with her bath and heads back to her room... she finds Ranma already sleeping in their futon and smiles.

'It's been a long day, I know... I just wish I had my bed! Still, any place with Ranma is a good place...'

Quietly, Akane steps forward and gets into the futon, drawing the blanket over her body while snuggling up to the sleeping Ranma. Though he doesn't wake up his arm instinctively moves around her waist, signifying his desire to have her near.

"Thanks Ranma... good night" Akane says in a whisper before falling asleep.

A few minutes later a shadowy figure, who had been watching Akane ever since she left the bathroom, quietly slips open the door. A candle is placed on the floor and lit, quickly filling the room with a sweet scent which, due to the door being closed right after the ignition, overwhelms the two teens...

End Part C


	26. Chapter 26: Forest Adventures Part D

Start Part D

Ranma and Akane talk on their way home from school as a stiff spring wind blows...

"wow, I can't believe it..." Ranma says, making reference to the calendar date.

Akane nods her head. "Yeah, it's been six months since our trip... we're already seniors in high school"

"We gotta figure out, you know, what's next..." Ranma says, refering to their post-high school lives.

"Very true, I think you and I need to have a little talk, Ranma"

"Of course, but I gotta make a stop off on our way back"

That comment causes Akane to stop in her tracks. "Again? That's the third time this week! Are you keeping secrets from me?"

"Well, kinda... but it's a surprise... and it's for you. That's all I can say... I ain't hiding anythin' important from yah- remember we're being true about everything now between us"

Akane breathes a sigh of relief. "Okay, I'm glad to hear that. Just don't take too long, okay?"

"I promise, I'll be there about fifteen minutes after you get home and then I can show you the surprise"

"I'll see you at home then" Akane says as Ranma makes a right turn and soon is out of sight. 'I wonder what he's up to? A surprise for me... could be interesting...'

The youngest Tendo has a quiet walk home while Ranma makes his way over to a store in a nearby district. On this, his third visit, he sweats over a major decision but finally makes a choice.

'I hope she likes it...'

Upon arriving home Akane is shocked to find no one around, absolute quiet reigns throughout the house. She looks around the kitchen and in the yard and still finds no one...

'I wonder where everyone is? I guess I'll put my school stuff down and wait for Ranma- this is kinda weird'

Akane heads up to her room and opens the door... her jaw drops to the floor when she what's inside.

"It's back! And it's even better then before!"

Throwing her backpack to the floor, Akane walks forward and places her hand on the brand new bed gracing her room, the soft silk sheets tantalize her fingers and the rich pink orchid color stimulates her eyes. 'This is a beautiful bed and bedspread, let's see how it feels...'

Climbing onto the bed, Akane lays her head down on one of the pillows and stretches out on the bed to get the true feel of this new surprise. Needless to say she's quite happy with the quality and feel as it causes her to relax and eventually fall asleep while awaiting Ranma's return.

About fifteen minutes later, Ranma arrives at home from his trip and heads upstairs. He's a little surprised to see Akane sleeping on the new bed... he quickly adjusts his plans. Quietly he tiptoes over to the bed and takes out a small box which he opens and places the surprise around Akane's neck.

"Huh, what... who's there?" Akane says as she wakes up. "Ranma?"

"Yeah, do you like our new bed?"

A wide smile forms on Akane's face. "It's so soft and comfortable... and I love the color and designs on the sheets and pillow. How'd you..."

Ranma places a finger on her lips. "First things first, look down at your neck"

The pigtailed martial artist pulls back his finger and Akane looks down and notices that she's now wearing a beautiful necklace which is adorned with many different stones of different colors.

Akane places a kiss on his cheek and blushes. "It's beautiful, Ranma... thank you"

"It was hard to pick out somethin' for yah, that's why it took three trips... and you see it's more then the bed got changed while we were at school today" Ranma stops and points at the wallpaper.

"Oh yeah, it's in the same pattern... I like it a lot... how'd you set this up?" Akane says after looking around at the rest of their room.

"Remember what my mom did after we came back from that trip? She took the bed away until we were going to get married for real..."

"Yeah I remember that..." Akane's voice drops off as she realizes what the necklace is for. "Ranma, does this mean..."

Ranma scoots closer on the bed and blushes before taking a deep breath. "I want yah, Akane... for real. Not just in the Amazon way- I want you for my real wife"

Warm feelings engulf Akane as she says nothing but acts on her emotions at the moment, jumping on Ranma and pinning him down on the bed with her body. Tears begin to form in her eyes as she allows herself to reveal to her husband her innermost feelings at the moment.

"Ranma... thank you. I feel so happy... you don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment"

"Me too..." is the soft reply as Ranma begins gently rubbing Akane's back. "I was so nervous about this... picking out a gift, asking everyone to go somewhere else tonight"

Akane smiles and rests her head on his chest. "I bet that last thing was the hardest part... we have some nosy people around here. I don't even want to know how much it cost to get rid of Nabiki"

"Heh, Kuno took care of that for me. I'm sure she won't be thinking about anythin' at the house today"

"This was one surprise worth waiting for... I love it when you do these kind of surprises"

Ranma sighs aloud. "Yeah, but this was kinda hard to organize"

"But you did... because you love me"

"I do love you, Akane and I need you forever"

Those words help Akane come to a decision about something she had been thinking about for the last minute or so. She slowly raises her head and looks into Ranma's eyes and with a hint of nervousness reveals a surprise of her own.

"Ranma... I have something special for you, too... that I've been saving for this kind of moment"

That comment gets Ranma's attention right away, especially since Akane's face is very red and she was nervous in the delivery of her words.

"Uh yeah, sure, I'd love to see it"

Akane wants to confirm what she just heard, just to be sure. "Really?"

Ranma nods his head in the affirmative. "Sure tomboy, I love surprises, too"

"Great... I have a feeling that you wanted to be alone with me for more then just the marriage thing"

A saucy grin forms on Ranma's face. "Of course, it's hard for us to get much privacy yah know... I was hoping you and I could have some fun, too"

"That's my baka all right... and yeah, I want to do that, too. Tonight we'll try something... something else"

Akane's blush reaches a new high and she turns her head away from Ranma. 'I can't say it... but I can show what I want to do'

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Ranma... turn and face the wall for a minute and then close your eyes, please. I'll tell you when you can open them"

Ranma shrugs his shoulders and does as he's told, making himself comfortable by adjusting his head position on the pillow. Akane nervously heads towards one of her dressers and pulls a drawer open, reaching for an item in the back which she puts on the counter in front of their mirror. She takes a look in the mirror and checks on Ranma before heading to the closet for the other part of the outfit.

'Here goes nothing, this did look good in the store and I did feel confident wearing it, let's see how he reacts'

After taking the red heels out of the closet, Akane takes a deep breath and puts them on the floor. Ranma hears the shoes hit the floor and wonders what she's up to.

"Need any help over there?"

"No thank you" is the quick response as Akane reaches for the zipper on her skirt. "I'm fine- keep them eyes closed"

"Of course, I don't wanna spoil your surprise" is Ranma's reply as he focuses his attention on his hearing in an attempt to figure out what she's doing without actually looking. His heartbeat increases as the sound of a skirt hitting the floor reaches his ears... followed by the sound of unbuttonning...

'Is she getting naked or somethin'? She's taking off her clothes... I know those sounds...' The blush on Ranma's face gets redder and redder as the temptation to look grows and grows.

For her part Akane tries not to be nervous as she removes her vest and shirt, dropping them to the floor. She looks at herself in the mirror and smiles, knowing that she could stop right now and show him the lingerie she's currently wearing... but that's something she can do anytime. This is a special occasion she muses and it's time to bring out the big guns. Reaching back, she unhooks her bra and takes it off, letting the lacy garment fall to the floor.

'One more to go...' is the thought in Akane's mind before she steps out of her panties... and reaches for her special lingerie that she's been saving for months. In about two minutes, she's dressed and ready for Ranma.

"Ahem, lie on your back but don't open your eyes"

"Sure thing Akane"

Ranma does as he's told and wonders to himself what exactly he's going to see when he opens his eyes... or what he's not going to see... if his ears weren't decieving him.

With the big moment approaching, Akane can feel her emotions going wild and her heart beating rapidly in her chest. 'Let's see what he thinks of this tomboy tonight'

Akane crawls onto the bed and lifts Ranma's chin with one hand. "Open"

With much anticipation, Ranma opens his eyes and sees Akane's face, her warm smile greets him and warms his heart right away. "Akane"

"Ranma"

"I want you, Ranma..."

The pigtailed martial artist lets his eyes wonder south from his wife's eyes... and is mesmorized by what he sees. "I want you, Akane"

"I'm glad we're on the same page..."

Akane uses her other hand and begins unbuttoning Ranma's shirt, stopping occasionally to rub her hand against his well defined chest. She can tell that his heart is beating just as rapidly as hers...

"Tomboy..." Akane pauses just shy of the bottom of the shirt after hearing that.

"Baka, you're looking very handsome tonight... and very sexy"

Ranma finds it hard to describe what he sees and feels at the moment. "So are you... wow... I've never seen you in somethin' so sexy, Akane... damn..."

Wanting to hear more, Akane presses him for more information. "Tell me what you like about this special lingerie I got at Naru's for us"

"Umm... well, my wife's new outfit really shows off those legs, nice touch with the heels and umm... pantyhose"

'He said my wife- I love it when he calls me that! I want to hear more' The youngest Tendo smiles and asks once again for more.

"Akane, that really shows off them hips and your butt and umm..." Ranma's eyes take in the intricate design of the black laced lingerie, noting every curve and portion of skin exposed. His eyes get wider as he focuses on her chest and the way her cleavage is showcased...

"I umm... like how it shows off that wonderful figure of yours"

"Thanks, Ranma... I'm glad you like it. I know you really appreciate my good looks"

"Oh yeah, I love how yah look, you're one sexy tomboy and you're all mine"

"Ranma..." Akane swoons. "I'm glad I got busty just to spite you"

"Heh... now you're just getting silly. Still, I ain't complaining that you got umm... bigger"

Ranma feels Akane's hand unhook the last part of his shirt and move lower a little, heading into "dangerous territory"

"Akane... what are you..."

All Akane can manage to say is "you and me both" before removing his shirt and tossing it aside. "Are you sure we're alone?"

"Trust me, it's just you and me"

"Good"

"You and me forever" Ranma says, adding one more word at the end that really defines this initmate moment. From this point forward, few words are spoken as Akane lowers herself on top of Ranma, allowing him to wrap his arms around her and pull her close.

"I need you, Ranma... but be gentle"

"I will, don't worry. I'll make sure you feel appreciated"

Akane rolls her eyes after hearing that but immediately focuses on the task at hand, having fun with her husband. Ranma feels the lust growing for Akane with every kiss they share, every rub and grind between the two as they push their boundaries to new levels...

"More Akane... that feels good"

"Ranma... mmm..."

Her neck is Ranma's new target as Akane works to remove his shirt and toss it aside. Her eyes take note of the results of all of the training and working out they do together as she appreciatively rubs her hands across his chest in slow circles while Ranma taps into some more his innermost desires for Akane...

"Is that good?" he asks while gentling kissing her neck.

"Yes... lower... Ranma..." Only three words are needed to explain what Akane wants at this point.

Needing no further instruction, Ranma moves one hand up and begins massaging her breasts while his kisses get lower and lower, eventually reaching the valley between her breasts. The pigtailed martial artist had secretly wanted to get to this level with Akane for sometime... and now the fantasy has become reality. Akane realizes that she awakening her partners innermost desires for her- and now she's not afraid to show her innermost desire for him as both reach levels of excitement neither had experienced before. The overwelming warm feeling inside Akane drives her own hands to get to work as well, gently tugging at Ranma's black pants...

"Off"

The blush on Ranma's face deepens but he says nothing as she pulls as far as she can from her current position before scooting back and pulling the rest of the way, Ranma just silently watches as his hands slide off of her and smiles.

"Don't forget my shoes..."

Akane face suddenly sports a saucy grin. "Don't worry- everything's coming off..."

"Heh... perverted tomboy"

The youngest Tendo says nothing but steps out of her red high heels, not wanting to acknowledge the fact that she's running on pure sexual desire at the moment... and it seems he is as well. She crawls back onto the bed and straddles her partner again, rocking back and forth in that mutually pleasuring position as Ranma reaches out to give more affection and love...

Ranma cannot help but be excited and aroused by her manuevers. "That's good, Akane... wow..."

"I want you, baka..."

"And I want you..."

With that, Ranma begins kissing her neck again while his right hand gently moves the straps of the teddy down, first on the right and then on the left. Despite being lost in the ecstacy of his kisses and hand movements, Akane manages to free her arms from the straps, allowing the straps to fall down and hang in front of her.

"Ranma..." she coos as his hands begin massing her breasts once again, making her feel very "appreciated" inside. Inside she cannot help but laugh at the thought that long ago, he considered her flat-chested and sexless yet her blossomed figure was a prime focus of his attention, though her legs and behind got some nice compliments, too.

"Ah... oh..."

Ranma begins sensing that she's reaching a critical point, her back is arching away from him and her eyes are staying closed longer and longer. "Don't worry, I'll make it better"

"Please"

"Don't worry- everything's coming off..." is his reply, echoing her words of a few minutes ago.

"Perverted baka..."

"The one and only..." Ranma admits softly before continuing on with the project at hand.

Taking even more charge of the situation, Ranma begins pulling on the black lace teddy until the garment is down at her waist, fulling exposing her well developed chest. Had this been the Akane of old, Ranma mused as he gazed lustily at her chest, he'd have been dead long ago... for even an accidental peek at her bosom. Times and feelings had changed and now he wanted... he needed to see every part of her and he knew that she felt the same way- her taking charge at the beginning was a true indication of that.

"Much better"

Looking into his eyes she could see the true lust and desire for her body within them... and she allowed him to see the same in hers before jumping into an Amazon type position, using the technique for something more "fun"...

"Wo ai ni!"

"My wife the Amazon... so sexy" is Ranma's reply to familiar Chinese phrase while beginning to grab and squeeze her behind and caress her hips, which only encourages her to move faster and faster against his body until her own sweat coverd body begins arching back as she finally achieves what she'd be looking for- release.

"Ranma!"

"That's my tomboy" Ranma says in a whisper as she lowers her body back down against his, aknowledging that his mission was accomplished so far, she was feeling very "appreciated"... but he realizes that he needs that feeling, too.

"Together this time, I need you Akane"

"Need you too"

With some nervousness, Ranma turns his body sideways and scoots towards the edge of the bed, taking Akane with him. As soon his feet are over the edge of the bed he stands up, Akane is still clinging onto him.

"Ready?" is the only question Ranma has left to ask before proceeding, wanting to make sure that everything was okay for the moment.

Akane has only one word to reply, a very soft "Yes" coupled with a slight nod of her head. She stands up and looks Ranma in the eye... before yanking down his boxers.

"My turn"

Despite being totally naked, Ranma shows no hesitation as he reaches down and unhooks the garter belt from the sheer black stockings Akane is wearing. She watches as he pulls the teddy down and off, allowing her to step out of it.

"Show me what you can do, Ranma"

"Anything for my wife"

No further words are needed as the pair get back into bed and let their emotions and lust for one another go wild like it never has before, going to the most extreme it can before...

"AKANE!"

With a start, Ranma wakes up from the most vivid and erotic dream he had ever had...

"Woah... Akane and I were doing... doing that!" he mumbles softly as he tries to catch his breath. "That was some dream..."

Before Ranma can catch his breath noises to his right divert his attention. "Ranma... Ranma... RANMA!"

'Akane... is she having some kinda perverted dream, too? The way she was calling out my name...' the pigtailed martial artist turns and watches as Akane, lost in her own dream, begins calling out his name yet again, her back arching up under the blanket.

"Yes Ranma, faster, faster... ooooh!"

The blushing martial artist can say nothing as the dreaming Akane reaches her peak and slowly settles back down, her own breathing matching his own from just a few moments before. 'I had no idea she had those kinda dreams... I mean we've been getting closer but...'

Wanting to make sure she's okay, the concerned Ranma gently places his hand on her forehead and brushes her hair back. "You okay?"

"Mmm... very okay" is the reply back in a very excited tone.

"I'm just making sure you're okay"

"You did good Ranma..."

Without warning, Akane's hands reach out and pull Ranma into an intimate embrace... the feeling of the real Ranma on top of her causes Akane's eyes to open...

"Huh? What the..."

"You're finally awake" Ranma breathes a sigh of relief.

"You've got clothes on!" the shocked Tendo says, wondering what's going on.

Ranma cannot help but chuckle. "So do you, look down silly"

Akane does as she's told and sees her body, clad in her light blue pajamas, exactly as she was wearing before bed.

"I don't understand... I was in bed, with you..."

Ranma livens up the situation. "Must've been a dream... and a good one from what I heard"

A red blush forms on Akane's face and she says nothing, aknowleding the fact that she was having one of "those kind of" dreams about her fiancee. She gently pushes back on Ranma, giving her space to sit up and look at her fiancee.

"Yeah... umm... it was good..."

Ranma is silent but nods his head- and doesn't know what to do or say next at this awkward moment, though Akane notices something and breaks the silence.

"You're covered in sweat, just like I am!"

"Ummm, yeah..." Ranma nervously turns away. "Maybe I was... you know... dreamin' or somethin'"

"I see... same as me?" Akane asks boldy, wanting to keep honesty between them depsite the subject matter.

"Yeah... you and me... sometime in the future, I got you this necklace and well, you had a surprise for me too, this lacy black lingerie with black stockings and red high heels, it was quite a sight..."

"A black teddy?" Akane asks aloud, wondering if it's the same thing she was wearing in her own dream.

"I guess that's what that was, I ain't very good with the types though your sister was pointing out some information in case I wanted to buy yah somethin' in the future"

"Ranma... I was wearing that in my dream- and you gave me a necklace- what color was it?" the curious Akane asks, needing to hear more.

"It was black and had a lot of different colored stones on it, very expensive looking"

Akane's shoulders lower and she takes a moment to ponder what she just heard. "Ranma, I think you and I had the same exact dream- down to the smallest details. I don't how that's possible but I think it just happened"

"I think you're right, it's kinda weird but I umm, well, I did like the dream" Ranma nervously says, not wanting to sound too perverted but still keeping the lines of honesty open.

No verbal reply is given by Akane at first but she leans over and whispers in Ranma's left ear "So did I" before returning to her sitting position in front of Ranma. Both teens are taken by their very intense dream and the feelings in brought out, their innermost desires for each other. Neither one is sure of what to do or say next so they just silently stare at each other... moonlight begins slowly filling the room as the wind picks up and disturbs the curtains in the window...

Ranma breaks the silence. "That's umm... a nice looking moon..."

"I like moonlight"

"Me too... and we need some air in here, cool things down..."

A slow nod confirms that thought. "Yeah..."

Akane tries to come to grips with her own feelings and her own secret desires, as does Ranma while they let the cool night air blow over their bodies. The youngest Tendo cannot help but feel a need to hug Ranma, regardless of the situation and slowly moves closer and closer and eventually wraps her arms around him.

"I'm scared, Ranma... and excited... I just don't know what to do, how to feel..." she admits in a whisper after burying her head into his chest.

"Me either... I've got strong feelings for you and they, well, keep getting stronger every day. That camping trip really made me think about you more"

"Me too- you and I are more honest and trusting then ever... we didn't hide anything just now, did we?"

Ranma pats Akane on the head gently. "No, we didn't. I know you ain't gonna make fun of me if I tell you what's going on"

"And neither will I- I trust you, Ranma"

That admission helps both relax a little and feel proud of just how far their relationship had come in the last few weeks and months. As they hold each other, lingering effects of the incense are still in the air, however, and cause a slow movement towards more intimate contact once again. Ranma leads by letting his hands drift towards her hips and behind while Akane inpercepibly begins rubbing her upper body against his.

'I guess there ain't no denying it now, Akane is the best... and I do want her'

Mimicing what she did to him in the dream, Ranma moves one hand up and gently lifts Akane's chin, bringing them eye to eye before going in for a kiss.

'Mmm... he wants to have fun in reality, too... and so do I- but are we ready for that kind of fun?'

The question continues to linger as things begin suddenly heating up again between the two... causing Akane to eventually pull away.

"Ranma... I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, really... I was kinda losing control there" he admits nervously.

Akane's next words shock him, they are the total opposite of what he's expecting to hear. "Ranma... please turn to the right and wait"

"Huh?"

"Ranma, please..." Akane repeats again.

"Okay... but if you come back wearing somethin' like the dream, well, I'm gonna have to do somethin' about that"

"Pervert... I don't have anything like that" Akane admits aloud. 'Yet... though maybe I should buy something like that from Naru's' is the thought in her mind as she gets up and walks over to the dresser. The moonlight sparkles in the mirror and adds an almost shimmering affect to her appearance as she gazes at her reflection in the mirror.

'I'm not ready to do go all the way with Ranma tonight but I can tease him, we know our boundaries'

It only takes a moment of searching through the top drawer for Akane to find the bra that she wants, she removes her shirt and puts on the garment and then replaces her pajama top. 'If Ranma wants to see it then he'll have to work for it'

"Ahem"

"Oh, you're back... I was beginning to fall asleep here" Ranma says jokingly.

"Not funny, turn back towards me"

Not knowing what to expect, Ranma takes a deep breath and then turn back on his side... and sees Akane, dressed the same as before, looking no different then before.

"Oh... okay"

"Expecting something different?" Akane says with a wink.

"Well, kinda... but I can still hug yah without setting any fires between us then"

"Okay"

The details that Ranma had failed to notice become apparent as he holds Akane and gently rubs her back, he can tell she's wearing a bra and hadn't been wearing one just a few minutes ago. 'So that's what she was doing... and she put it on for me... for us...'

"Akane"

"Yeah Ranma?"

"Do you still want to make out... a little, not like that dream" Ranma asks, wanting to make sure before he proceeds.

"Of course"

Having set their boundaries the lovers embrace and begin kissing, their tongues meeting just moments later. Wandering hands lead both to eventually shed the others shirts... Ranma cannot help but be mesmorized at Akane's surprise, a very lacy black bra which shows off her figure quite nicely. On Akane's end, her hands and eyes take note of Ranma's very handsome chest and muscles...

About fifteen minutes later the two lovers stop and snuggle, taking note of the time.

"Wow, that was the longest you and I ever... made out"

"You're right, Ranma... and now I'm tired and need some rest, we do have class tomorrow"

"Yeah, that's too bad... I'd rather sleep in and dream some more of you" Ranma admits with a hint of shyness.

"Me too... and you do remember what to do if we're sleeping like this" Akane says, seeing if Ranma remembers the action she had him perform on their camping trip.

"Yeah, I know..."

Akane snuggles her head into his chest and he gently unhooks the back of her bra, allowing her to sleep with it on more comfortably.

"Good night Akane"

"Good night Ranma... sweet dreams..."

Ranma grins and then makes himself comfortable on the pillow as he watches his fiancee fall asleep... it isn't long before he falls asleep as well. The unknown assailant, who had dropped the incense earlier, comes back around midnight and takes note of her work by peering into the room and noticing the shirts on the floor and the intimate snuggle.

'I was expecting more... but it was a great catalyst for them to admit their own feelings, it won't take long for them to get there on their own. Time for me to help out my daughter and her boyfriend...'

To be continued in Chapter 21: Camping Trip, Round 2

To see the basis for what Akane was wearing click here: .?namespace=productDisplay&origin=&event=display&prnbr=GU-228904&page=1&cgname=OSSLPLGEZZZ&rfnbr=5366

To see the picture that inspired this chapter, click here. (Ranma and Akane by ladymako) ./_cDxS9Jcddnw/TCgPfg3HT6I/AAAAAAAAACQ/Xuu7Qw8sdYw/s1600/akane+ranma+ 


	27. Chapter 27: Camping Trip, Round 2 Part A

Chapter 21 Camping Trip, Round 2

Part A

Around 4:30 A.M., Ranma awakens to the sounds of birds chirping in the distance. Despite the short amount of sleep that he got after the late night make out session he feels very refreshed and ready to face another day of school... and of the challenge that is his relationship with Akane.

Due to the lack of light in the room Ranma can't see much but notices something black and lacy just in front of his eyes.

'Heh, she ended up snuggled next to me like this. She's one sexy tomboy...'

As if by cue, Akane lets out a soft moan in her sleep, making Ranma wonder if she's dreaming about him in THAT way again. He softly sighs and then tries to think of a way out of this tricky situation...

"I wonder, if I did something more... advanced, what would she do? Probably think it was me in the dream, so that shouldn't be too dangerous..." the pig-tailed martial artist says in a hushed voice as he ponders how exactly to pull this off.

A red blush forms on Ranma's face a moment later as he decides on his course of action. The soft sound of a kiss being placed is heard... and another. Akane reacts by giggling and calling out her lovers name...

"Mmm, Ranma... higher"

Have gotten some encouragement from his sleeping companion, Ranma continues to kiss his way up from the valley between her breasts up to her neck, causing her head to slowly roll to the side as he expresses some of his previous hidden desires for the feisty tomboy.

"God your naughty this morning..."

Ranma plays along with the sleeping Akane. "Anythin' for my sexy tomboy"

Akane's eyes suddenly open and look down at her baka. "Who said I'm sleeping?"

"Huh?" Ranma says while pulling away a little. 'Shit, I'm in trouble now!'

"Ranma, don't do that, it's dangerous" is the warning from Akane as she sits up.

"Umm, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." Ranma slowly backs away.

"Let me show you what I mean..."

Without warning, Akane jumps forward, pinning Ranma to the ground. Expecting a mallet hit to the head or worse, Ranma closes his eyes. Time seems to pass by at a snails pace as he awaits the pain...

"Woah... mmm..."

Caught off guard, Ranma is initially stunned to feel Akane's lips against his, her tongue reaching to meet his. 'What kind of dangerous is this?'

A few moments later Akane pulls away and looks thoughtfully at Ranma. "That's what you get for doing something so perverted..." A grin forms on the young woman's face as she pauses for emphasis. "I'll bet you were dreaming of me again and wanted to play in real life"

"Kinda, I had to get out and well, I thought it might be fun for both of us that way, yah know"

"I liked it" Akane nods her head. "But if you do that, I'll want to reply in kind and well, you know, things would happen"

Ranma blushes, knowing full well what she means. The youngest Tendo also blushes and silently stares at her handsome baka, not knowing what else to say or do. 'Things are really, really getting out of hand... I want to take off the rest of his clothes right now... and I can tell he wants to do the same. Damn, we're both a bunch of perverts- especially after those dreams! I can't stop thinking about him...'

"Umm, Akane..."

"Ranma, it's still early... we don't start our excercises 'till 5:30... did you want to snuggle some more?" is Akane's carefully worded compromise to this tense situation.

Ranma breathes a sigh of relief. "Sure, I don't mind having yah close"

With a smile on her face, Akane grabs the blanket and wraps in around them both, only leaving their heads uncovered.

"Ready?"

"One second Ranma..."

Some scuffling sounds are heard as Akane tries to reposition something without looking... Ranma patiently waits and wonders to himself what she's doing.

"Better, now let's snuggle- and talk"

Ranma moves a little and wraps his arms around Akane, pulling her to his chest. A very content Akane rests her head on his shoulder, causing Ranma to blush.

"Umm, what happened to your bra?"

"I took it off" is the reply in a "Matter of fact" tone.

"Yeah, I kinda noticed that"

"Ever since we woke up from that dream, both of us have been baring all- I have something very important to talk to you about"

Feeling a gentle squeeze, Akane knows Ranma wants to hear more and so the young woman continues.

"Before we, you know, confirm our Amazon marriage, I need to do something while we're at school"

"Okay- I can't think of anythin' that yah need to do there but..."

Akane gets to the point. "My name, I want it changed"

Ranma likes what he hears but has to double check what he just heard. "Really? Even before we get married for real? Yah do want me bad tomboy"

"I do, my handsome baka, I do. Only then can we... move on"

"That sounds reasonable to me... Akane Saotome... hmm, I think I can handle callin' yah that from now on" the teasing Ranma says while gently rubbing her back.

Now it's Akane's turn to tease back. "Baka... mmm... you're still blushing. I guess I'm not so flat-chested after all"

"Nope, and yah never were, those certainly got umm... bigger over time. Very umm... distracting"

"And you got more handsome and more desirable. Despite all the things we've gone through, there's only one baka for me"

"And one tomboy for me"

Content with making her point Akane relaxes and lets Ranma's soothing touch take her worries away as both enjoy some quiet time together before starting their normal morning routine. During her normal morning routine, Nodoka peeks into her son's room and sees the futon on the floor, the blanket thrown to the side along with even more clothes then her last peek.

'Those two are almost there, let's see what they can do on their own from here... I have a feeling they'll be talking about it this morning at the table'

At the breakfast table, Nodoka does notice Ranma and Akane staring a little bit more then usual at each other as they eat, showing their comfort level with each other is rising quite rapidly.

"Good breakfast, mom"

Nodoka is flattered but decides to give credit where it's due. "Oh, I didn't do much, thank Kasumi"

Akane nods at her older sister. "Good work as always, sis"

"It was nothing" the eldest Tendo daughter says with a slight blush. "It's too bad Nabiki didn't get to eat breakfast with us"

"She must've left early for something important, she's not much of a morning person" Soun notes while reading the morning paper.

Nodoka has her own theory on Nabiki's absence. "Must be that samurai, I just know it"

"Yah know, yah could be right mom" Ranma says, setting the mood for his next question. "Mom, Akane and I got somethin' to ask yah"

That gets the Saotome matriarch's attention. "Yes son?"

"Akane and I, well, we've been talkin' and we're wondering if you wouldn't mind us stopping by your place tonight. Now that we overcame some of the other problems we wanna work on some cookin' and I do remember you had a nice kitchen on my last visit..."

"Hmmm..." Nodoka considers his request for a moment.

"I want to go back there..." Genma says while placing his finished breakfast bowl on the table.

Turning to her husband, Nodoka chides him a little. "After you've paid back a good amount of your debt- visiting that place is a reward and has to be earned"

"But..." Genma tries to make an appeal.

"Genma, we've already talked about this... and Akane wants to work with Ranma on one of her weak points. I think it's a great couple bonding excercise"

In a rare moment of insight, Genma drops the topic and decides not to aggravate his wife any further. He watches his son and Akane leave, knowing that things are definitely on the up swing with them- that alone is enough to get him motivated for the days work... though, like his wife, he's wondering about the future wedding between the pair.

On the way to school and in class Akane is unusually silent and Ranma doesn't press any issues, since he knows what she's about to do. The teacher comes in and tries to bring some order to the chaos.

"Settle down everybody, time for roll"

Slowly the chatter dies down and the students take their seats. Akane begins to feel very nervous as each name is called out until her own name is called.

"Akane Tendo"

The young woman raises her hand. "Here..."

"Nice to see you back from your trip. Now, let's see, where was I on the list..." is the reply back from the teacher before getting back to roll.

Akane speaks up. "Umm, I have something to say"

"Can it wait until I'm done with the roll?"

"Actually, it has to do with the roll..."

Several heads turn and look at Akane, wondering what she means by that. The teacher is curious as well and decides to find out what's going on.

"What do you mean Miss Tendo?"

"My name... please change it to Akane Saotome"

Ranma looks at Akane proudly as she says those words... as soon as they're said, Akane has the feeling that a large weight has been lifted off of her chest. Several students gasp in surprise and begin asking questions like "When did this happen?", "You two are married?"... and so on.

Knowing to expect the unexpected from Akane, Ranma, and others in the school the instructor is not too surprised to hear her say that.

"Calm down everyone, Miss Saotome can tell us about this later, it's time for class now..."

Despite that order, the buzz cannot be quelled about this new revelation. An adjustment is made in the roll and the rest of the students are called out. Akane does her best to focus on class as the day goes on- there'd be plenty of time later to think and talk about this with Ranma and the others...

Lunchtime finds the new Saotome couple sitting outside under a tree, enjoying the bento that Kasumi had made for them this morning. The peace and quiet is soon interrupted by the visit of the middle Tendo daughter.

"I heard there was quite a stir in your room this morning..."

"Yeah" Akane says shyly.

"Finally taming that wild horse of a husband, huh?" Nabiki says with a wink, teasing her sister.

The blushing Akane says nothing but Ranma decides to try and help out.

"She knows that she got a winner... but I know you're out of some money in the betting pool, Akane here changed her name too soon..."

"How'd you know about that? Anyways, you're right... I had you two taking a few more months before getting to this kind of situation..." Nabiki says with a sigh, knowing she's got some money to pay out later.

"Sometimes you gotta follow your dreams" is Ranma's response to that, though only him and Akane know what that truly means.

"I guess... you two play nice now..."

"Okay, see yah later Nabiki Kuno"

That last comment by Ranma causes Nabiki to roll her eyes and she leaves, calculating her betting losses on the way back to class... leaving Ranma and Akane to discuss what just happened.

"Thanks for earlier, Nabiki always seems to hear everything when we're at school"

"News travels fast" Ranma says with a shrug. "It'll be like normal again here soon, so don't worry"

Akane nods her head. "I hope so... but there are other things outside of school that'll probably never be normal"

"True"

"Oh, and good one calling my sister Nabiki Kuno"

"Knew you'd like that one, we can't just be the target all the time"

"That's right" Akane says, feeling a new determination about life in general, especially given the events of the last 24 hours. "We can fight back"

"That's my tomboy"

"Baka" is the affectionate response to that as Akane takes her husbands' hand. "I know we're eating now but I can't wait for dinner"

"Me either, I wonder what we should cook up?"

"Your mom said there was a cookbook there and lots of ingrediants, so I'm sure we'll have a variety of dishes to choose from. I've still got a lot to learn..."

Ranma nods his head. "I'm up for the challenge- and yah did make some edible stuff on our last trip so ain't worried about dyin' or anythin' tonight"

A quick jab to the stomach makes Ranma regret that last comment. "Not funny, Ranma"  
"Sorry"

"I think we both can improve our cooking skills so..."

A laugh escapes Ranma's lips. "Yeah, am sure you don't wanna be eatin' road food for dinner all the time"

"True... or instant"

"I've had my share of that"

Before Ranma can say anymore, lunch comes to an abrupt end with the signal sounding the return to class. The couple heads back into their classroom and once again questions fly left and right about this sudden name change and relationship status change...

Elsewhere in Japan, another couple is on their way to their camping and training site. Both teens have taken tents due to the threat of bad weather on the trip and to keep Ukyo's cooking equipment dry and operational.

"You didn't have to haul all that stuff, I can cook with just a campfire" Ryoga says while noting the large backpack Ukyo is carrying as they hike up the trail deeper into the mountains.

"I wanted make us some nice dishes and cooking is like an art, you have to keep on practicing"

Ryoga gets the point and adds some flattery to his reply. "True... and your food is delicious"

"Thanks sugar, I appreciate it. How far are we going into the forest?"

"Another hour or so... there's some open fields, a stream, and nice forest cover in that spot"

Ukyo is skeptical. "Are you sure? No offense, but sometimes you do get lost"

"I got the map right here... take a look for yourself if you don't believe me" the slightly miffed Lost Boy says before handing the map in question to his girlfriend.

Ukyo studies the map and realizes that he's right- and decides to tease him a little about it. "Seems like we're on the right trail and about the right spot- maybe your sense of direction is improving, sugar"

Ryoga slowly nods his head. "Guess so, don't know how but I'll take anything I can get these days..."

"Things are difficult, but we'll figure them out. I've made a commitment to you after all" is Ukyo's reply in a cheerful tone.

"And thank you for that... my own actions and my curse, well, have made things rather... interesting..."

A chuckle is Ukyo's reply to that. The brunette chef begins walking faster and catches up to her fiancee, taking his hand as she walks next to him.

"That's no lie- but let's not worry about Nerima now. If something is happening, they can call us on our cell phones. I'll make us a tasty dinner when we get there"

The sound of a culinary creation by Ukyo makes dinner very, very appealing to the Lost Boy. "Mmm, I like that incentive... let's keep walking then"

Moving deeper into the forest, the pair feel the temperature drop as they gain altitude and the forest cover increases, motivating them to keep moving and find a suitable place to camp for the night before it gets dark...

Back in Nerima, school is soon out and Akane and Ranma head right over to Nodoka's place. Ranma follows Akane upstairs to the bedroom, wondering what's on her mind if that room is her first destination...

Seeing the elegant bed, Akane cannot help but jump on it- she s missed her bed sooo much and it's just been one day...

"Looks like you're really enjoying that" is Ranma's offhand comment about what he sees.

"I miss my bed" is Akane's simple excuse for her actions.

"I miss it too" Ranma admits. "Wanna take a nap and then make some dinner?"

"Sounds good to me..."

Ranma drops his backpack to the ground and lies down on the bed next to Akane, the couple fall asleep quickly while holding hands due to the extreme comfort of the bed. Later that evening, the two wake up and are feeling hungry, so they go down to the kitchen to make something to eat. On the table there happens to be a open book, the title is Cooking for Couples

Sounds interesting Ranma wanna give it a try? This is probably the book your mom was talking about Akane says sweetly.

Sure sounds like fun I like to work with yah

Hmm okay. Akane starts reading the instructions aloud. Seems like we need to change clothes

What for? Ranma replies, confused about her comment.

For one thing, it ll be quite hot in here most of these recipes call for cooking on the stove and using the oven I guess it s so we don t get all hot and sweaty

But I like you hot and sweaty Ranma says softly.

Akane blushes and then looks up at her husband. I know but Ranma we re trying to make some dinner not have umm fun

S-sorry you re right. Ranma rubs his stomach. I m feeling hungry let s eat and then we can umm go upstairs

Akane flips through the book for a few minutes, trying to find something simple but appealing and then points at a few pictures in the book. Ranma takes a look at what she s selected and nods his head.

Looks good let s go get changed and make us some dinner

Akane puts the book back down on the table and follows Ranma upstairs to the bedroom. Ranma starts looking through his clothes, trying to find something loose to wear Akane has the same dilemma. She has her jogging pants, so that takes care of the bottom part but she needs a loose top

Hey Ranma you find anything loose for a top? I only got my jogging pants

Ranma pauses and looks up at Akane. Well, I got my own jogging pants in case you and I went jogging or did some sparing all I got for a loose top is a few of my white undershirts those work good for both of my forms

Could I borrow one of your shirts? Please? Akane says with a smile.

Ranma smiles and tosses one of the said shirts her way. Anything for my tomboy.

Baka Akane sits down on the bed and starts taking off her skirt, causing Ranma to stop dead in his tracks. She puts on her jogging pants and notices that he hasn t moved an inch

What s wrong? Am I too much tomboy for you to handle? It s not like you haven t seen my panties before Akane says that last part with a smirk.

Y-yeah I guess you re right I m sorry you re just so so beautiful

Akane blushes. Thank you She sudden has an idea. Ranma, can you give me a hand?

Sure what do yah need? Ranma asks, eager to help her out.

Akane motions at the back of her school uniform. "Can you unzip that?"

"Sure thing..." With only a slight hesitation, Ranma reaches out and unzips that back of her school uniform. His eyes lock onto Akane as she removes the top and begins unbuttoning the white shirt beneath it... soon revealing the very lacy white bra she had been wearing underneath. Despite the attention she's getting at the moment, Akane decides not to tease Ranma and instead turns her body so that her back is facing Ranma.

Can you massage my shoulders? They're a little tight... and I know you won t mind doing it

Ranma takes a deep breath and sits down on the bed next to her. He gently caresses her neck and massages her shoulders, causing her to moan softly.

Ranma that's good really good. Let's get

Ranma interrupts. Get some more practice? I know I could use some more Akane feels his hand on the back her bra- she can tell what's on his mind. His hand lingers for a moment and then he backs off, allowing Akane to put on his white shirt.

I m ready to cook Ranma let s make some dinner! Akane says excitedly.

Sounds good

The two make their way downstairs and over to the kitchen again. After getting out all the utensils, the two start looking through the refrigerator and cabinets, collecting all the items they need to make dinner.

Looks like everythin is here ready, Akane?

Sure! Is the hearty response back.

Akane grabs the cookbook and puts it on a nearby counter and she begins reading the instructions aloud to Ranma. Dinner is soon underway and as the book mentions, the temperature in the room begins rising dramatically with the vegetables cooking, water boiling, and the oven now preheating

On a separate table, as per the instructions, the male is holding the bowl and to keep it stirred... while the female is peeling the veggies and putting them in the bowl, along with some sauce and flavorings

This is fun Ranma Akane says as the salad starts to take form in the bowl. Ranma has no audible response, however. His arms are around her he can feel the heat of her body and it s distracting him.

Akane feels Ranma sigh and then take a deep breath causing his breath to go across her neck. Ooh that feels good Akane cannot help but take a deep breath herself, in an effort to focus on the food and not on Ranma. However, when she does so, her chest expands, causing Ranma to breath faster

What s wrong, Ranma? Akane asks, not knowing that this method of cooking gives him an over the shoulder view of her upper body which had just gotten larger a moment ago.

Damn she looks really sexy now she really fills out my shirt and I got a good view of her

Ranma? Akane says his name again and he takes a deep breath to calm down.

I gotta stop thinking about her we re tryin to make dinner Ranma tries to steele his mind and focus on the matter at hand. His way of calming down, however, involves taking deep breaths and focusing his mind.

The constant feeling of Ranma s breath on her neck is getting Akane excited. She stops peeling vegetables and cannot help but think about one thing Ranma. When she stops, however, she also takes a deep breath, causing her chest to expand and the cycle continues

Akane, I umm Words fail the martial artist as he feels Akane s body begin to sway slightly, back and forth, causing her bottom to rub against him.

Maybe we should take a break for a second

"Yeah, okay..." Akane turns around and looks at Ranma, and it isn't long before the pair slowly move in for a kiss, wanting to keep things low key until dinner is done.

"Good idea, Ranma- I really needed to stop and kiss you"

Wanting more of Akane's love and affection, Ranma has a suggestion. "Me too- maybe we should take another break after this dish is done, we got a couple to make yah know"

"Okay"

With renewed focus the pair once again get back to work, getting the first of three parts of their meal done and on the stove. Before starting on the second part, they take a break once again... though all the motions of making the first dish have proved to be quite distracting . Neither one wants to break the intimate embrace or passionate kissing but eventually they do...

"Ranma, we need to focus!"

"Sorry, I got caught up in the moment" the blushing pigtailed martial artist says before gathering the ingrediants for the second dish. Ranma and Akane work together on the meat portion of the meal and make it through with few distractions...

"That's two, let's get that on the stove and work on part three" Akane says with growing confidence, realizing that she is on her way to making a fully edible meal. The last part, dessert, proves to be quite a challenge to finish...

During the making of the dish, the close contact and the almost constant rubbing of Akane's behind against his body provokes many reactions. "Ah, oh... stop that Akane"

"What? I'm just stirring the batter" Akane says, dead serious about that. "I'm not doing that on purpose!"

"Oh, okay... I believe yah. It's just... ummm..." Ranma blushes before continuing. "That feels good"

Silently, Akane realizes just what she had been doing to her husband... and it felt good to her, too. 'I think I could get to like cooking with Ranma all the time'

Ranma turns the page in the cookbook and the pair move onto the next part of the instructions... which cause the opposite effect- Akane is the one feeling the effects and tries not to moan as the blush on her face grows deeper and redder with every passing moment. Akane's heavy breathing also affects Ranma, as his eyes are more and more drawn to the swelling and contracting of her chest with each breath.

'Wow... my tomboy is looking so sexy tonight... I think we should cook together more often...'

Rapid back and forth movement in close quarters is the result of the final instruction to make this cake- the batter is quite thick and requires a lot of effort to mix properly...

A moan escapes Akane's lips as she feels Ranma's body thrusting back and forth behind. "Ahh... almost done?"

"Yeah, that's some tough batter..." is the reply from the red faced martial artist. A few more seconds and he slows down and moves away, unaware that how excited his new wife had gotten by all of the hip movement he was using to get the cake batter mixed. Akane tries to catch her breath as Ranma places the dessert in the oven and sets the timer.

"Whew, that was hard... I guess that dinner recipe wasn't that easy after all" Ranma sits down in a nearby chair and tries to regain his composure- many of the movements of the past twenty minutes or so reminded him of things he's only done to Akane in his dreams... the mere thought of that happened in real life sends his mind racing.

'She did say that we'd move on after she changed her name... I hope it doesn't take too long to do that...'

Feeling overcome emotionally by the cooking, especially the last part, Akane tries to calm down but only one thing is on her mind right now... and has been since last night. 'I did change my name today, I do want to commit to him, I do want him... or do I want to do him?'

"Ranma?" Akane asks softly before turning around. "What do you want to do while we wait for our dinner to cook?"

"I don't know, umm..." Ranma is feeling very conflicted inside but one thing is clear, he wants to do something with Akane. "What do you want to do?"

Saying nothing, Akane makes a decision and walks up to Ranma, climbing into her husbands lap. Her eyes lock onto his and she gives him an answer that he'll never forget.

"Ranma, I want to DO you"

Ranma needed no translation for that as her hips begin grinding into his, her chest pressed against his as she begins passionately kissing him, wanting to show at last the innermost of her lust and desires for him.

"I need you Ranma"

Slowly, Ranma begins replying in turn, his hands begin squeezing Akane's behind as they kiss and their tongues meet... he knows that Akane needs to hear his thoughts on this and so he tries to figure out what to say...

"Mmm... Ranma..."

"Akane, you're so... so..." Ranma looks down at her chest and grins. "Hot"

"You haven't told me what you want to do, Ranma..." Akane teases in a lusty tone. "I already told you what's on my mind"

The fiesty tomboy soon gets her answer as her husband begins tugging at her sweatpants, allowing them to fall to the floor. Akane looks up just in time to see her blushing companion speak the words that she's been longing to hear.

"I want to DO you, Akane... badly"

"Ranma..." Akane coos before reaching for and removing his shirt. "Show me how bad..."

Few words were needed after that statement as both parties let their bodies do the talking, Akane teasing with her chest and hips and Ranma using his kisses on her neck and squeezing of her backside to set their own fire in the kitchen, it doesn't take long before are in their favorite condition to see each other...

A grinning Ranma makes note of this verbally- "Hot"

"And sweaty" Akane notes while tugging off his sweatpants. Once that's accomplished, her arms are raised to allow Ranma to remove the white shirt she's wearing, bringing the sexy bra she's wearing once more to Ranma's attention.

Ranma's eyes devour his wife's form. "Sexy tomboy"

"Handsome baka" is her reply after doing the same. She takes his right hand and places it on her chest. "Show me how much you appreciate me..."

Ranma slips in a compliment before getting to work, making Akane feel even better. "Anythin' for my busty wife"

Both lovers hands wander around like they've never done in real life before... previously only in their dreams would they dare to do these things. Small comments are made to each other as the remaining clothing comes off... and then it's only their names that are heard as all of the pent up passion and lust the pair had been hiding from each other finally comes to light...

About twenty minutes later, several alarm bells go off as the timers expire, alerting the napping couple their food is ready...

"Our dinner!" Akane exclaims while hopping out of Ranma's lap.

Ranma also springs to action. "I'll get the oven, you get the stove..."

The pair rush into action, wanting to save their dinner. After turning off everything, both bring the food to the table... and suddenly come to the realization of what just happened a little while ago...

"That was no dream..." Ranma says while staring at his naked wife.

"No, it wasn't..." Akane says with a blush while looking over at her husband. "It was... better"

"Yeah..." Ranma clears his throat and reaches down for his clothes. "Still, I wanna eat and you know, not get distracted..."

"Good idea" is Akane's reply as she reaches for her own clothes. "Let's see how well our dinner turned out"

Both hungry parties eye the food, taking the noodles and broth and dividing them into two bowls, followed by topping off the noodles with the beef and vegtables and mixing them all together.

Ranma tries not to drool at the sight and pleasant smell of the dinner. "Looks good so far"

"And smells good" Akane adds. "That salad looks good, too"

"Yeah, there was was a lot of mixing with that..." the grinning pigtailed martial artist says, trying to get used to teasing his wife about more intimate matters.

Akane's eyes glance over at the other part of their meal on the far side of the table. "True... same with the dessert"

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Ranma brings attention back to the matter at hand. "Yeah... let's eat, I wanna see how we did"

The new Amazon couple dig in with full fury into their meal, Akane is eating just like Ranma, much to his shagrin...

'When she's hungry, she's hungry'

Akane pauses for a moment to express her satisfaction with their cooperative dinner effort. "I can't stop eating this, it's delicious"

"You and mean make a good team- and I told yah you could cook, tomboy" Ranma says with a smile.

"I'm glad- I was beginning to think that it was an impossible task" Akane admits softly. "Something about you motivates me to keep going"

"That's cause I keep challengin' yah and keeping yah on your toes- I still gotta expect the unexpected with you"

Akane points her chopsticks at her husband. "Same with you, you're so wild sometimes- you live up to your name"

"Wild horse? Heh... I wasn't the one jumping into laps earlier"

saying nothing, Akane finishes her soup and starts eating her salad, leaving Ranma wondering what his counterpart is thinking. Halfway through the salad she breaks the silence.

"I've had a long time to prepare for this, hoping things would work out with us... and despite all the stuff that happened, well, we made it"

"Akane..." Ranma reaches his hand across the table and holds her hand. "I swear since that first day that I saw yah, somethin' grabbed a hold of me"

Finishing her salad, Akane reaches for the chocolate cake. "I could tell... everytime someone tried to flirt or take me out you got insanely jealous- and denied it every time"

"Well, maybe... and you know I like a good fight... especially if it was to keep my fiancee safe"

Akane cuts a slice of cake for each of them. "Let's have a toast then, to us..."

"To us..."

It doesn't take long before the cake is devoured, leaving empty plates and bowls on the table. Both parties are full and don't feel like getting up right away...

Ranma pats his stomach. "That was some meal, I think we'll make it on our own"

"Yeah, I think so... but we do need to clean up here"

"Of course, it won't take long since my mom has a dishwasher"

Akane makes a verbal note of the house in general. "This is a pretty nice place, I like it..."

"Me too"

While the new Saotome pair work on cleaning up the kitchen, back in Nerima, Nabiki wonders aloud at the dinner table where her sister and Ranma are at.

"Your place?" Nabiki blinks hard. "Why?"

"Cooking lessons, Akane really wanted to try and improve her skills without distractions she would've had here" is Nodoka's reply, knowing secretly that other things could've happened as well.

"Oh, distractions..." the middle Tendo daughter then shrugs her shoulders. "At least we're not eating the results of that experiment"

Kasumi immediately chides her sister. "Nabiki! Akane is trying..."

"Anyways, I'd be worried about Ranma surviving that or getting into an arguement with her..."

Soun interjects a comment. "Have some faith in your sister, after all, she does rise to the challenge- look at what happened when she fought for Ranma"

"I suppose..." Nabiki picks at her dinner, feeling slightly distracted about events earlier.

Nodoka notices what Nabiki is doing and asks if anything is wrong.

"Bad day with the business" is all she'll offer in reply. Secretly more is wrong then she'll admit- her sister hooked up with Ranma so quickly and completely in a short length of time, making it look easy and leaving Nabiki to wonder just how easy it'll be with her own boyfriend to reach that kind of closeness and intimacy level.

Out in the woods, Ukyo and Ryoga have set up two tents, one to keep their supplies in and one to sleep in. Despite the cramped conditions of the tent the pair make the best of things...

"I'm glad you've got all this camping gear but this tent is pretty small" Ukyo says, noticing how close her head is to the ceiling.

"Well, it's just designed for one person... that's why we're sharing the sleeping bag. Not like I mind" is the reply from the blushing Ryoga as he gently rubs his hand along Ukyo's leg, admiring the soft fabric of her pajamas.

The chef notes what he's doing and smiles. "You like this set?"

"Oh yeah, nice and soft"

Wanting to relax, Ukyo makes an offer that she thinks her boyfriend will agree to. "Then let's snuggle"

"All right"

The brunette chef snuggles her head into his chest and relaxes, glad that the day is over.

"That was one long hike, at least for me"

Ryoga shrugs. "Wasn't too bad"

"I wonder what kind of moves you're going to show me? I'm not that good as a martial artist"

"You're great, Ukyo- you just have a different style then everyone else. Of course I have some tips and tricks I can share with you" the confident Lost Boy says as his hands begin to rub her back. "Let me help you relax"

The massage begins to have the intended effect as Ukyo slowly drifts off to sleep... until Ryoga's hands start squeezing her behind... awaking the chef with the pleasurable sensations her boyfriend is generating.

"Mmm... I didn't mean those kind of moves"

"Sorry, but I do like your..." Ryoga blushes. "Ass"

"I bring out your inner pervert, don't I?" Ukyo teases.

"A little" is all the Lost Boy will admit to as he continues to squeeze her behind, soliciting moans from his girlfriend. He knows the same is true of her, her sedutive tone of voice and the rubbing on her chest against his is proof enough for him. Both parties eventually fall asleep, a smile on their face as their true affections for each other has been once more expressed.

Back in Nerima, the "newly married" couple has finished their cleaning and is ready to go relax for the evening. Seeing a chance to act on one of the traditions associated with marriage, Akane jumps at the chance to practice it- literally.

"Woah!" Ranma is nearly caught off guard as Akane jumps into his arms. "Why did you do that?"

"It's a marriage traditon, carrying the bride up to the room after the wedding"

Now Ranma gets it. "Ah, okay... there are lots of stuff tied in with weddings, ain't there?"

"Yeah... and another thing is carrying me through the doorway of the bedroom upstairs, the threshold"

"Hang on"

Ranma carries Akane in his arms and takes her upstairs, turning sideways to pass through the door to the bedroom. He gently puts her down on the bed and wonders aloud if there are any other traditions he needs to learn...

"Hmm, when it's time to start setting up the "real" wedding, I'll let you know. Thanks for the lift"

Akane's words bring a smile to Ranma's face. "Anytime"

Noticing that Akane's eyes are looking at the TV on the opposite side of the room, Ranma wonders if she wants to watch TV... or is she trying not to stare at him? Wanting to find out, Ranma lies down on the bed. Quite innocently, Akane sits up and positions herself in his lap but without the movements the pair enjoyed earlier.

Ranma looks up at his wife. "Akane..."

"Yes?"

"I think yah forgot one of the traditions..."

That reply confuses Akane. "I did? Which one?"

Motioning her closer, Ranma watches as she adjusts her position to hear him better, which causes her body to be bent over his. "Tell me Ranma, which one?"

"This one"

Without warning, Ranma's hands go for Akane's waist and slip under her shirt, allowing for access to her breasts which he begins massaging, enjoying the soft feeling of her bra and her bosom beneath...

Akane cannot help but moan as her face turns red. "Mmm... now you're the fiesty one"

"I made a promise to myself that when we got close I'd make up for all the insults about your figure, especially the ones about these..."

Liking his reason for doing this massage even more with every second, the tomboy softly utters her lovers name. "Ranma... you can't get enough of those, can you?"

Ranma explains his mission. "Now that you let me touch them, well... umm... no. I'm going to make you feel really appreciated tonight because now you're mine"

A large smile forms on Akane's face after hearing that. "You got that right, baka- you're never going to get rid of me!"

Wanting easier access, Ranma slides his hands down and then removes Akane's shirt, tossing it aside. His lusty eyes lock on to her figure and devour her, sending shivers down her spine. Akane, after taking a moment to recover from her husband's gaze, reaches for his shirt and removes it. Her voice cannot hide her true feelings at the moment as she lowers it to a whisper and lustily says "You have something I can't get enough of, either"

"Pervert" is Ranma's reply to that in a joking manner as Akane positions herself in his lap and makes know what part that is with the movement of her hips.

"Mister and Misses Pervert"

Ranma tries to make a witty reply to that but is cut off, his wife's lips press again his and their tongues meet... and both sink down into the bed, once again setting off a passionate fire between them...

End of Part A 


	28. Chapter 28: Camping Trip, Round 2 Part B

Start Part B

The next day, up in the mountains, the couple in training move on, pushing further up into the wilderness after eating breakfast. After a long hike, the sun starts to dip in the sky and an exhausted Ukyo wipes the sweat off of her brow.

"Whew, that was a long way… and the backpack felt heavier with every step…"

"That's because you're not used to it… I get lost all the time and I have to carry my backpack everywhere…" Ryoga said as he visually surveyed the area, trying to figure out the best place to pitch the tent.

"How about over there?" Ukyo said as she pointed to a prospective location.

"Looks good to me…" With that, Ryoga dropped his backpack to the ground and started assembling the tent. Ukyo watches out of the corner of her eye as he sets it up… before she can get her tent out of her backpack, his is already finished. Ryoga notices that she's unpacking her tent and decides to help her out. He motions towards the backpack and Ukyo decides to let him do it… 'It'd take me a lot longer to do it… man, he's fast…'

While Ryoga sets up her tent, Ukyo decides to unpack her portable stove and start cooking dinner. 'It's the least I can do… since he's set up the tents…' The familiar scent of Okonomiyaki fills the air as Ryoga finishes setting up the tent.

"Mmm… smells good…"

Ukyo smiles. "Thank you… lunch will be ready soon…"

Ryoga takes a seat on a nearby log and watches Ukyo skillfully make their meal. 'She's really good… she told me that she's been working on making those Okonomiyaki's for 11 years now…'

As Ukyo finishes her cooking, Ryoga cannot help but think about how devoted Ukyo is to her cooking… 'But she still found time for me… I don't know what I'd do without her…'

Ukyo flips over the Okonomiyaki's one last time and then puts them into two separate plates and brings them over to Ryoga.

"Lunch is served…" Ukyo says as she passes a plate to Ryoga.

"Thanks…" The famished Ryoga replies as he begins to scarf down the food. Ukyo notices this and giggles before eating her own food. The sun begins to set as they eat their late lunch, both watch the horizon and admire the peaceful surroundings…

"This is a lot better then being back in Nerima…" Ukyo comments aloud.

"Yeah… I like being away from civilization… it's so peaceful…" Ryoga says as he finishes off his food.

"Yeah… and the weather's perfect, just like Nabiki said…" Ukyo said happily. A loud noise startles her a moment later… Ryoga turns his head the other way and immediately recognizes the signs of an incoming storm…

"Ukyo, look that way…" Ryoga says as he nods his head.

Ukyo turns her head and watches as the black clouds in the sky congregate and move towards their position. The wind picks up and Ukyo feels a drop of rain hit her head. Ryoga panics and jumps into the nearest tent to avoid getting wet and becoming P-chan…

'He jumped into my tent…' Ukyo says as she quickly packs up her stove. There's not a moment to spare… the rain begins to fall in earnest just as she gets everything packed away. She goes into her tent and finds Ryoga zipping the windows closed…

"Did you want to stay with me tonight? Or is there some other reason why you jumped into my tent?" Ukyo says, teasing her boyfriend.

"Well, I'm used to there being only one tent… I just went for the nearest one and almost hit my head on your cooking supplies…" Ryoga replies… and Ukyo sighs aloud.

"Oh… that's all it was…" A slightly disappointed Ukyo says in response while repositioning her supplies to maximize their space inside the tent.

A wind gust hits the tent and a loud cracking noise is heard a moment later. There is a moment of silence… and then a large boom and crackle fill the air. Ukyo jumps into Ryoga's lap… 'That sounded like it was close…'

Ryoga tries to calm Ukyo down- he can see that she's nervous… her body is starting to shake. 'What's wrong with her? It was just a little thunder and lightning… I've put up with it all my life. Wait a second… Ukyo really hasn't been out in weather like this as many times as I have…" He gently runs his fingers through her hair and whispers, "It's okay… I'm here…" to Ukyo.

"I'm scared… that sounded pretty close…"

"Ukyo… I know… but it was just a little thunder and lightning. Storms can get pretty wild in the mountains… but I'm here for you…"

Ukyo pulls away from Ryoga and then nods her head. Ryoga decides to peek his head outside of the tent to see how his tent is fairing in the storm… and his eyes grow wide as he realizes something…

"Umm… can we use your tent tonight?"

Ukyo eyes blink-blink. "What's wrong?"

Ryoga shakes his head. "Nothing… well, there's just a slight problem…"

"And what's that?"

"Oh, nothing… just a large tree branch has flattened my tent, that's all…"

"Oh… is that all…" Ukyo's eyes blink-blink again. "You can't be serious…"

"Look for yourself…" Ryoga says as he motions towards the entrance of the tent.

Ukyo decides to satisfy her curiosity, peeks out of the tent, and sees the large piece of tree on his tent. "It's a good thing you didn't jump into your tent…"

Ryoga slowly nods his head and he mentally pictures what would have happened if he gone into the other tent. 'Ukyo would've probably came into my tent… and we'd bother have been…' Ryoga gulps as the grim scenario comes to a close in his head.

"Well… it looks like it'll be raining for a while… and I'm tired…" Ukyo says as she closes the entrance to the tent. She reaches for the nearby lantern and turns up the light level on it. "Ryoga… could you do me a favor?"

"Sure…" Was Ryoga's immediate response.

"Could you sit up here at the front of the tent and face the other way? I wanna change for bed… I know it's early but I have a feeling we're not going out of the tent tonight."

"S-sure…" Ryoga says as he basically switches places with her. He can hear the rustling of clothes a few moments later and part of him is screaming for him to look at her…

"No peeking, Ryoga…" Ukyo said, totally unaware of what he was thinking.

'I can't look… she's beautiful… and so… damn! I wanna look… but I can't…' Ryoga was mentally debating the pro's and con's of looking while Ukyo finishes undressing and puts on her brand new nightgown. Ryoga is startled by the gentle tap of a finger on his shoulder a moment later.

"All done… you can look now…"

Ryoga, relieved that she's finished changing, turns around and for the first time beholds his girlfriend in her nightgown. "Beautiful…" Ryoga says as he begins to look her over…

Ukyo blushes and places a kiss on his cheek. "Why don't you get ready for bed?"

Ryoga nods his head and then switches places with Ukyo. He quickly changes and then says "Done"…

"Any reason for the little piggies on your boxers?"

"What?" He asks and checks only to find that there're none. While he checks she just starts giggling.

"Really Ryoga... you need to watch what you put on... what if you had put on my panties instead?" She asked seriously.

"Ah, well... um... I wouldn't fit in your panties..." he suddenly blushed at that comment.

Ukyo turns off the lantern and starts to crawl towards Ryoga and the sleeping bag in the middle of the tent. Before she can get to either, however, lighting once again fills the sky, illuminating everything in the tent for a brief moment…

Ukyo quickly scrambles into the sleeping bag and pulls the cover over her head. Ryoga catches a glimpse of what she's doing and gets in the sleeping bag. He can feel her body shaking… 'She's really scared… I gotta do something about this…'

Ryoga gently pulls Ukyo into his arms and allows her to snuggle next to him. As the storm passes by, he can feel her slowly calming down and she soon falls asleep. 'I guess it worked… I'm glad I could help her…'

Ryoga stays awake for a little while longer and thinks about Ukyo a little more. Before falling asleep, he makes a vow to himself. 'I gotta be there for her… I can't be nervous around her… so I need to get more comfortable with being with her…'

The next morning, Ukyo wakes up from a strange dream. She rubs her eyes and then tries to stretch out her arms… and suddenly realizes something.

Her eyes get quite large as she pulls the blanket and sees that Ryoga's hands are once again on top of her butt.

Ukyo gently shakes Ryoga and his eyes soon flutter. "Hey, Ryoga…"

"Yeah… what is it?" He groggily replied.

"You really like my ass… don't you?" Ukyo said as her face turned red.

"Yeah… it's nice and smooth…" The half-awake Ryoga says as he slowly comes to consciousness and realizes what he just said. "You're not gonna kill me, are you?"

Ukyo chuckles. "No, I'm not gonna kill you… but could you at least take you hand out from underneath from my panties…"

Ryoga is suddenly fully awake. "You mean my hand is…" He gives a little squeeze again… and realizes that the fabric of the panties is on the backside of his hand and a smooth, taunt bit of flesh is filling his palm with each squeeze. Ryoga removes his hand in the blink of an eye…

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

Ryoga thinks about and tries to say something in response… he mumbles a few incoherent phrases before saying "it felt good"…

"It felt good?" Ukyo asks with a raised eyebrow.

"It felt really good?" Ryoga weakly replies.

Ukyo shakes her head. "Why can't you do that while we're both awake?" Ryoga's eyes get bigger and then Ukyo realizes that she just said that out loud instead of thinking it.

There's a moment of awkward silence… which is broken by the sound of two rumbling stomachs…

"I guess we should make some breakfast…" Ukyo says as she observes her boyfriend, who is practicing being a statue. She shakes her head and then decides to make breakfast herself, leaving Ryoga alone so he can recover. As she cooks breakfast, she decides that she needs to take more drastic measures…

"You back yet?" Ukyo said as she peeked into the tent. Ryoga nods is head.

"Yeah, um… sorry about that…"

"It's okay… come out here and we'll eat…" Ukyo says with a smile.

Ryoga comes out of the tent and the two eat breakfast, passing only a few words between them. Ukyo cleans up the dishes afterwards so that Ryoga doesn't accidentally trigger her curse. 'I think it's time for Plan A…' Ukyo thinks as she returns from the nearby creek.

"Hey Ryoga… I think we should look for that hot spring mom mentioned… I could use a bath…"

"Yeah… a relaxing soak would be nice…" Is his reply back from inside the tent.

"Okay, you get our backpacks and I'll lead the way…"

"Be right there…"

Ryoga grabs the backpack, which contains their clothes and the other necessities that they brought with. After a short hike, they come across the springs… and are in awe with the surroundings.

"Look at all these trees… this is the perfect little hideaway for a hot spring…" Ukyo says as she looks around.

Ryoga puts down the backpacks. "Looks nice to me…"

"Do you mind if I take a bath first?" Ukyo asks as she touches the water with her fingers.

"No, I don't mind…" Ryoga says as he walks over to a fallen tree trunk and sits down. He knows what Ukyo is about to do behind him and deliberately zones himself out and focuses on the trees in front of him.

Ukyo undresses and slips into the hot springs. She looks around for Ryoga and soon finds him sitting nearby on a tree trunk. 'He's not peeking at me… he's just zoned out…' Ukyo soaks for a while and then cleans up… and while she's doing that she has an idea…

"Ryoga… Ryoga…"

"Huh?" Ryoga says as he snaps out of his trance. "What is it?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure…" Ryoga says without giving it a second thought.

"Good… I need some help here… could you wash my back?"

"W-w-wash your back?" Ryoga nervous replies.

"Please…" Ukyo says with a little pout in her voice.

"I… I… guess so…" Ryoga says slowly.

"Great! Come over here…" Ukyo says happily.

Ryoga slowly turns around… not knowing what he's about to see… after turning around towards her. His eyes grow larger as he's mesmerized by the sight before him. Wet, long, brown hair cascades down her back, covering her shoulders and most of her back from view. Where her hair melds into the water, her form becomes indistinct, but the outline of her hips and legs are visible to his wandering eyes…

'Gods… she's beautiful…' Is about all Ryoga can think at the moment.

"Where are you?" She asks, wondering what happened to him.

Ryoga shakes his head and walks around to the side of spring nearest to her. "Sorry about that… I'm ready…."

'Good… here goes nothing…' Ukyo thinks as she takes a few steps backwards towards Ryoga. Reaching for a nearby sponge, Ryoga prepares to clean her back. He hears a giggle and a small splash.

'Did she just… t-turn around?' Ryoga eyes slowly drift up from the water line… the first thing he can see is her belly button… 'She's… right in front of me…'

Ryoga's eyes slowly drift north… then reaches her chest… and then her eyes. He looks at her with a combination of relief and disappointment.

"You seem disappointed…" Ukyo says with a smile. "Did you want to see me totally naked?"

Ryoga cannot help but take a momentary glance back down at Ukyo's chest. A green bikini top covers her chest… her hair had concealed the straps for it on her back. Ukyo notices where her boyfriend is staring. "So… you can't keep your eyes off of my chest…"

"Umm… no… I mean umm…" Ryoga tries to stutter out more a reply but is unable to. Ukyo gently tilts his chin back and looks into his eyes. "Ryoga… I want to be closer to you…" Ukyo takes a deep breath. "This is difficult for me, too…"

All is silent for a moment. Ryoga ponders what she just said. 'She's doing this… for me… and I know it's not something that comes natural to her. Damn it… I gotta keep my cool…'

"Ukyo…"

"Yes?" Ukyo asked hopefully.

"I'll ummm… wash your back now… if you umm… still want me to…"

"Sure…" Ukyo said as she turned around. Ryoga takes a few deep breaths and slowly works the lather onto her soft skin… starting from just above her behind and working his way up her back. Ukyo is very happy that he's working on overcome his nervousness… 'He does wanna be closer to me, too…'

Ryoga watches as Ukyo gently moves her hair, allowing him to continue his work unobstructed. Ukyo feels the sponge move closer and closer to the middle of her back…

"Ryoga, stop for a second…"

"But why?" He asks with a slight whine, having no idea why she would say that.

Ryoga watches as her hands reach behind her back and unhook the hooks on the bikini top. Ukyo removes the top and throws to the side of the pool.

"There… now you can finish up and nothing will be in the way…"

Ryoga blushes. "Umm… yeah… that works…"

Almost a minute passes before Ryoga resumes his work… but when he does, it sends feelings of joy through Ukyo's heart. 'I knew he could do it…'

Once Ryoga is finished, Ukyo stands up and reaches for a nearby towel. "Thanks, Ryoga… that was really nice of you to do that…"

"Umm… it was umm… no problem…" Ryoga says as he tries to calm down… his mind is nearly on overload from all of the sights and sensations of the last few minutes. Ukyo steps out of the pool and wraps the towel around her body. She walks behind a nearby tree and begins to dry herself off.

"Ryoga, it's your turn…"

Ryoga looks around and notices where she's at… and that she's keeping herself out of sight. 'I guess I should clean up… I'm hoping she stays over there… not like looking at her was a bad thing but…"

Ryoga blushes and then begins to undress. He soaks in the water for a few minutes before actually doing any cleaning. To pass time and to calm Ryoga down, Ukyo starts up a conversation.

"You know Ryoga… things sure have changed. I used to think that I would get married to my life-long friend and run a restaurant for the rest of our lives. Fate sure has changed things on me…"

Ryoga is surprised to hear her talk about Ranma and getting married to him. 'I will not get mad… I will not get mad… I won't scream that I wanna kill Ranma…' Ryoga mentally repeated as he listened to her.

"I'm not sure what I want to do anymore…" Ukyo pauses and then asks Ryoga a question. "What do you see yourself doing in the future?"

Ryoga stops and thinks about her question. 'What do I want to do? All I can remember is wanting to make Ranma pay… and then later asking Akane out… and then making Ranma pay… Aargh! What do I want?'

"There is only one thing I want… that I need… umm… but I don't think I can ever have it…"

Ukyo at first thinks that he may be thinking about Akane again… but she refuses to jump to conclusions and get jealous or anything else. She takes a deep breath and asks him "Why is that?"

"I really don't know much about my family… what kinda husband… hell what kinda father could I be if I'm never there for my kids. It's been so long since I've seen my parents, I can barely remember what they look like…"

"Oh…" Ukyo says as she takes a look at the pool… and sees Ryoga just sitting there, shoulders slumped, head downcast. Ryoga continues talking, oblivious to everything going on around him.

"I'm afraid… I got two curses, but the one I hate the most is getting lost. What if I get lost again? What if I lose sight of you? What if I get lost and then you're all alone? What if I got lost on the way to one of our dates or something? When I'm with you, I'm happy… my shi-shi hokoden doesn't work anymore… but what if I get lost and I get depressed because I can't find you… what if my depression becomes too much for me to handle?"

Ukyo realizes that he's really worried and hurt about this. She walks back over to the pool without even thinking twice about it and after dropping the towel, reenters the pool. Ryoga is so lost in thought that he doesn't notice what she just did. Ukyo wraps her arms around him and rests her head on his shoulder. He's so deep in thought that he fails to notice her state of undress and the pleasant pressure of her breasts on his back.

"Ryoga… I'm here for you… we'll figure it out… together…"

"But… if we had kids… I'd be worried about them… would they get lost just like me?"

"Oh Ryoga I… " Is about all she can say before getting interrupted.

"I need you… I want to be with you… but I'm worried about getting lost and not being to find you for who knows how long…"

"I want you too…"

Ryoga turns around and embraces Ukyo. For a time, nothing is heard besides the leaves rustling in the trees and the gentle sound of the water rippling in the hot spring. Ukyo starts thinking to herself. 'What if he does get lost? He could be gone for a long time… am I really ready to handle something like that? Is he worth it… worth the possible pain? Do I love him enough… to get beyond that? Gods… this is so hard… he's special to me but… is the time spent really worth it?"

Ukyo silently contemplates that last question and deliberates it before making a very critical decision in her life. She decides to answer her own question by planting a very passionate kiss on Ryoga's lips…

As Ryoga returns the kiss, his mind completely sweeps away all of the depressing thoughts that had been going through his mind. All he can think about right now is Ukyo… and how much he loves her.

During a short break in the kiss, Ryoga summons up his courage and then says three powerful words.

"I love you…"

"Oh, Ryoga… I love you too…"

No words are spoken as their lips are put to better use. A very passionate make out session ensues… only to be broken up by a very unwelcome sound.

"Damn it!" Ryoga said as he broke the embrace. He looks up at the sky and can see the black clouds gathering once again. While he's thinking about the clouds, Ukyo is thinking about something different. She's suddenly very aware of the fact that- One, they were in each others arms and holding each other very close- Two, they're both practicallyd naked and- three, one of his hands is still on her rear end. Ukyo's whole body is glowing red in embarrassment. She watches as he scrambles out of the pool and quickly throws on his boxers… and then pulls out his umbrella and crawls underneath it.

Ukyo gets out of the pool of water and quickly dries herself off. The wind is starting to pick up and she knows that it's going to rain soon. She gets dressed and then heads over to Ryoga.

"Come on, let's get back before this storm hits…" Ukyo says as she extends her hand out to him.

Ryoga grabs hold of her hand and gets back on his feet. He quickly gathers his belongings and the two make a mad dash back to the tent, arriving just moments before the downpour. Both breath a sigh of relief as they put their respective backpacks down on the floor.

Ukyo crawls to the back of the tent and grabs a deck of cards as a red blush runs across his face… once again, he was treated to a nice view of her behind. When she crawls back over to Ryoga, Ukyo notices that he's looking down at his hands and not at her. 'Is something wrong? He's so… quiet…' she thought before asking with a slight waver to her voice, "Want to play some card games?"

In his mind, Ryoga is trying to some up the courage to do something… 'I wanna show her… that I can be bold, too. Do I want to do this? Can I do it without making me look like an idiot?'

Ryoga looks up and can see that Ukyo has a very concerned look on her face. 'It's now or never, Ryoga… she's made her decision about me… now I need to show her my choice about her…'

Ryoga slowly reaches out for the deck of cards. Ukyo watches as he gently takes it out of her hands and drops it to the floor. 'What's he doing?' Is the thought running down through her mind. He leans towards her and puts his right hand behind her back, pulling her a little closer. His left hand starts to gently caress her face… causing her to blush.

Ukyo looks into Ryoga's eyes. "Ryoga…"

Ryoga stops for a moment and then makes his final decision. Ukyo can feel the warmth of his lips against hers a moment later. He slowly kisses her lips, still feeling a little nervous from before. Ukyo wraps her arms around him and returns his kisses.

'I did it… I'm showing her how I feel… and this feels good…' Is the thought in Ryoga's mind as his right hand slowly moves down her back.

Ukyo can feel his hand moving down and cannot help but think 'He really has a thing for my ass…'

The gentle squeezing of her behind causes Ukyo to intensify her kisses. Ryoga notices this and can tell that she really likes what he's doing... even though he does not... nor has he truly realized where both of his hands were.

Ukyo feels his hand move down her cheek, neck, and onto her shoulder. 'He's getting bolder by the second…' Is the thought that passes through her mind as his hand starts moving down onto her right breast. She feels his hand just a scant distance away from her... but not moving further.

Ukyo takes his hand into hers and presses it against her chest. Ryoga fights the urge to overreact to what he's touching and allows her to gently move his hand around on her breast… which cause Ukyo to moan softly.

"Mmmm… that feels good…"

Ryoga starts to slowly squeeze his hand… sending waves of pleasure through Ukyo's body. She starts to release her hand from his as his movements become bolder… her moans are giving Ryoga courage to do more… instead of less, which would have been the case before this.

Ukyo continues to moan as his hand continues to squeeze and explore the soft, tender flesh just beneath her shirt. The thunder and lightning start to get louder and the wind begins to pick up… Ryoga can tell that Ukyo's getting a little nervous. He slowly removes his left hand from her breast and gently pulls them both down to the floor.

"Ukyo…" A very flushed Ryoga says as he looks into her eyes.

"Ryoga… that was… was… wonderful…" Ukyo said with a giggle. A boom of thunder causes her to snuggle her head into his chest. He gently pulls the sleeping bag cover over them both and runs his hands through her hair.

"It's okay… I'm here to protect you…"

The pitter patter of the raindrops on the tent is the only sound heard for several hours as Ukyo falls asleep in Ryoga's arms. He falls asleep a little while after she does, thoughts of what they were just doing a little while ago fill his head.

Near dinnertime, Ukyo flutters her eyes and wakes up. 'As long as I'm with him, I'll be safe…' She looks at the side of the tent and realizes that the wind is blowing the rain sideways against the fabric. 'Guess that rules out cooking dinner outside…'

"Ukyo… I need you… mmm…" Ryoga mumbles in his sleep. Ukyo giggles and thinks 'How cute… he's thinking about me… wait a second…' She rolls her eyes. 'He's grabbing my ass in his sleep again… I must really look good from behind…'

"Ryoga… wake up…"

"Huh?" The lost boy said as he moves his hands back to face and rubs his eyes.

"You were doing it again…"

"Doing what?" He asks, not having a clue about what she meant.

"My…" Ukyo turns red. "My ass… you were grabbing it again…"

"I'm sorry! I know you don't want me umm… reaching under your underwear to do that…" Ryoga said as he went red in the face.

"No, no… you weren't doing that… I'm just wondering… umm… what is it about my behind that makes you want to grab it all the time?" A curious Ukyo asked.

Ryoga pauses to think about his answer. "Well, you umm… have a nice, round behind and umm… it's soft and… damn it, I just like the way it looks!" Ryoga says, very embarrassed about admitting that out loud.

"Oh… well… I was just wondering…" Ukyo pauses and then decides to change the subject. "Looks like we'll be eating dinner in here…"

Ryoga hears the rain striking the tent and nods his head. "Yeah… I'm glad we brought some energy bars and other food with…"

Ryoga reaches for his backpack and pulls out some energy bars and crackers and hands them to Ukyo. She heads over to her backpack and pulls out a water bottle and two cups.

Dinner passes by slowly and without much conversation… the whole day has been one situation after another and both parties are a little embarrassed about how far they went. The abandoned deck of cards is opened and the two play some card games to pass time as the storm continues to rage outside.

The sun soon begins to set and both Ukyo and Ryoga sigh. The day is almost over and they didn't get too much of a chance to go exploring outside… though the other activities more then made up for that.

"Ryoga… I'm gonna get ready for bed… could you turn around again, please?"

Ryoga replies immediately and turns around. "Sure…"

After Ryoga turns around, Ukyo takes off her shirt and unhooks her bra and places them over in the corner of the tent. Her pants soon join the other garments and she puts on the nightgown. 'I'll have a little more fun with him…'

Ryoga doesn't notice that Ukyo is sneaking up behind him until it's too late. She presses her body against his back and rests her head on his shoulder.

"All done…"

"G-good umm… did you want to umm…" Ryoga turns his head a little and looks in her eyes. "Ukyo, umm… can I kiss you again?"

Ukyo smiles. "Sure… and if you wanna do more then that… I won't mind…"

Ryoga turns around and pulls her down to the ground. His arms reach around her and caress her back as he begins to passionately kiss her. Ukyo responds in turn and mentally is ecstatic… 'Ryoga's being bold with me… and he loves me when I'm a girly girl! I guess I have my answer about whether he would like it if I changed or not…'

After a while, Ryoga's right hand slowly makes its way onto her left breast. He begins to tenderly squeeze and move his hand around, causing her to moan…

"Ukyo… you feel so good… but something's different…"

"Mmm… silly… I'm not wearing a bra like I was earlier…" Ukyo giggles, not believing some of the things either was saying tonight.

"Oh…" Ryoga goes red at that revelation.

"You know…" Ukyo starts remembering something Akane and Shampoo had told her about earlier in the week. "I'm your wife now… according to Amazon tradition…"

"W-w-wife?" The word surprises Ryoga. 'She's now my wife? When did that happen?'

"Yeah… when you started touching my… breasts… you accepted my offer of marriage… which was the glomp…"

"Oh…" Ryoga pauses to consider those words. 'My wife? After all that I've done… she's still accepted me… she still wants me…'

Ukyo looks at the spaced out Ryoga and smiles. 'This is my man… my husband… the person I'll be with for the rest of my life…'

Ryoga slowly extends out his arms and motions Ukyo over to him. He gently puts his arms around her and pulls her into a warm embrace.

"Ukyo…" Ryoga says in a whisper. "Thank you…"

Ukyo places a kiss on his cheek. Ryoga feels her arms circle around him… and then tighten a moment later as a loud crash of thunder echoes through the forest.

"Don't be scared… I'm here to protect you…" Ryoga says in a comforting voice.

"Damn it Ryoga… this doesn't sound like an average storm… it sounds like a cyclone out there…" Ukyo says nervously.

Ryoga gently pulls back and she looks at him, wondering what's wrong. Ryoga heads over for his backpack and starts searching through it. 'It's gotta be here… if there was any time that I needed it… it's now…'

"What are you looking for?" A curious Ukyo asks a moment later.

"Something your mom gave me… if I remembered to pack it…" Ryoga turns and looks over at his new wife. 'She's still shaking…'

"Ukyo… this storm… I've been through worse… where there was wind strong enough to pick up houses and carry them away… we'll be okay, I promise…"

"Well…" Ukyo says, considering his words and also the fact that her husband has spent a lot of time outdoors camping… and has wondered around much of Asia. "I guess so…"

"Found it!" Ryoga exclaims excitedly. Ukyo notices a weird looking raincoat being pulled out of Ryoga's backpack.

"What kind of raincoat is that?"

"A total body one… so I don't get wet and change into P-chan…" Ryoga starts to put the raincoat on and mentally prepares himself for the challenge ahead. "I'm going to go outside and get my tent… the one that got smashed yesterday…"

"What for?"

"To reinforce this one…"

Ukyo reaches out and grabs Ryoga. "Don't go out… whatever you were planning… just please stay with me…"

"But Ukyo…"

"Is there some way you can help me without going outside?" Ukyo asks, hoping for a yes answer in return.

Ryoga stops and starts thinking about her question. 'How can I get her mind off of this storm? It's really bothering her… and she won't let me go outside…'

As Ryoga mentally debates what to do he changes back out of the raincoat, much to Ukyo's relief. She blushes as once again, Ryoga is back in his boxers.

Ryoga glances over at Ukyo and notices her looking at him intently. He snaps his fingers. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Ukyo says, wondering what his new idea is.

"Umm… Ukyo… I was thinking… do you want me to…" Ryoga blushes. Ukyo notices this and motions him closer. 'Maybe if he whispers his idea to me he'll be able to tell me what he wants to do…'

Ryoga cautiously approaches Ukyo and sits down next to her. She decides to take the initiative and places a kiss on Ryoga's cheek.

"I'm going to close my eyes… and you do what you want…" Ukyo says boldy. 'Maybe that'll help…'

"Umm… sure…" Ryoga says as Ukyo closes her eyes. 'Here goes nothing… I hope I can do this…'

Ryoga places his arms around Ukyo's back and unleashes a flurry of passionate kisses on her neck, imitating what he observed Mousse doing to Shampoo earlier that week.

"Focus on what I'm doing… don't worry about what's going on outside…" Ryoga says as Ukyo begins to moan softly.

All Ukyo can say as she gets lost in the moment is one word… "More"

As the storm continues to rage outside, Ryoga decides to be bold and make his new wife feel even better…

While keeping his lips active by kissing her neck, he moves one of his hands down and begins to gently go over her thigh and then to her behind, where his hand begins to work on part 2 of his plan.

"Just focus on me… there's nothing going on outside… it's just us inside the tent… no one else around…"

Ukyo hears his words and can feel her focus shifting to that of her husband and the way he's making her feel good. Despite her increasingly frequent moans, Ryoga continues his work, shifting to the other side of her neck and behind.

Ukyo gets so lost in the pleasurable sensations that Ryoga making her feel when she hears him make a statement.

"The storm… it's over…"

Ukyo's eyes flutter open. "Really?"

"Yeah… though it's not entirely a good thing…" Ryoga says with a sigh.

"Why do you say that?" Ukyo asks, curious about what he means.

"Because I had to stop kissing you and umm… squeezing you…" A slight blush creeps across Ryoga's face as he says that last part.

Ukyo feels the urge to blush because of the way that he's thinking about her… but giggles instead. This throws Ryoga off completely…. 'Why is she giggling?'

After a glance over at her husband, Ukyo decides to explain herself. "I'd never thought I'd see the day… when you were so bold with me…"

"Well, umm… I'm trying… you're so… so… beautiful and I…" Ryoga stops, feeling embarrassed about what he was going to say next.

"Beautiful and?" Ukyo says, not letting Ryoga off the hook.

Ryoga's voice drops down to a mere whisper. "Sexy…"

"Oh…" Ukyo smiles. 'He thinks I'm sexy… I guess I can be… being more feminine seems to be working for me and my relationship with Ryoga…'

Ukyo decides to tease Ryoga a little. "Actually, I kinda knew that you were gonna say that…"

"Huh?"

"Well, you've started kissing me in other places… and your hands… are caressing more then my behind…" Ukyo says with a smile, proud of Ryoga… and proud of herself for not being scared of being close to her new husband or of being more "girly".

"Did you want to take a look outside… you know, to see what it looks like after that storm?" Ryoga asks, trying to change the subject.

Ukyo knows that he's trying to change the subject but decides to play along anyways. "Sure…"

Ukyo and Ryoga crawl over to the entrance to the tent and open the door.

"Look at that…" Ukyo says as she points at a nearby log. "Looks like your tent was a magnet for falling trees…"

Ryoga sighs. "At least we weren't in it…"

"That's right… you're with me in MY tent… maybe it was time for a change, right Ryoga?"

Ryoga says nothing but pulls Ukyo into an intimate embrace and holds her. 'Maybe she's right… I've given up on being alone, being by myself. I'm now a… husband… and I have a wonderful wife…'

"Are you okay?" Ukyo whispers.

"I'll be fine… but I want to hold you for a little while…"

Ukyo smiles. "Sure…"

The couple spend the rest of the evening talking and playing games before going to bed. Ukyo and Ryoga snuggle up together in the makeshift bed the two made from their sleeping bags and wonder what kind of surprises the next day will hold.

Time seems to pass by quickly as yet another day of training begins for the couple, now married by Amazon tradition. Ryoga is the first one to wake up, his eyes open and all he can see is brown… Ukyo's hair is right in front of his face. 'She's so… beautiful…' Ryoga thinks as his hands begin to gently massage Ukyo's hair. 'I wonder what she wants to do today? The birds are chirping outside… thank goodness that the rain is gone. Maybe we could do some hiking or something…'

"Mornin'…" Ukyo says with a smile, realizing what Ryoga is doing.

"Good morning…"

"Soo… what did you want to do today? Hopefully it'll be a better day then yesterday… I mean with the weather…" Ukyo says that last part while blushing.

'She liked what I did to her yesterday… she's even thinking about it right now…' Ryoga clears his throat. "Did you want to go hiking?"

Ukyo thinks about it for a moment and realizes that she hasn't really done much of that in the past. "Sure…"

"I'll umm… make us some breakfast while you get dressed…"

"Sounds good to me…"

After getting the food together and taking it outside, Ryoga begins making breakfast. 'We should pack out the tents… in case I get us lost… or another storm comes around.'

Inside the tent, Ukyo is looking through her backpack for some special "hiking gear" that Nabiki and Nodoka had packed for her. She finds the bag and opens it up…

"There's a note in here…" Ukyo picks up the scrap of paper and reads it to herself. "Hmm… special clothes for you to hike in and still… tempt your man…"

Ukyo sighs. "Well… I want to be 'girly'… I guess I'll see how it goes…"

After unpacking the clothes from the bag and laying them down in front of her, Ukyo makes a decision… and starts undressing. A few minutes later, Ryoga hears the tent open up and looks in that direction…

"Damn! I mean umm… nice, Ukyo…"

Ukyo blushes profusely. "You like what I'm wearing?"

Ryoga nods his head vigorously. "Yeah… it's very umm… s-sexy…"

"But I wasn't going for that kinda look… this is supposed to be a hiking outfit!" Ukyo says with a sigh.

Ryoga gives Ukyo another look over. Tan short shorts give a very nice view of her long, smooth legs. He moves his head a little to glance at her backside and notices how nice the shorts make it look…

"Ryoga…"

Ryoga looks up and notices the rest of the outfit. A brown button down shirt is stretched tightly over her full figure… it almost reaches her shorts, leaving a hint of her stomach exposed. 'She's so hot… when she's being feminine… wow…'

"Umm… looks fine to me… umm…" Ryoga stammers. "Why don't you sit down… umm… breakfast is ready…"

Ukyo sits down on a large log that Ryoga had placed in front of the fire earlier and helps herself to the oatmeal that Ryoga has prepared. The two eat in silence, both exchanging glances with each other…

"Breakfast was good… but I was thinking… what are we going to do with your tent?" Ukyo says, nodding over towards the crushed ruins of said tent.

"I guess I'll see if there's anything to salvage from it… otherwise… all I gotta do is change and we'll pack up the tent…"

"We're leaving?" Ukyo says, a little confused about why he said they're packing up the tent.

"Well… it's a lot easier if we pack up the tent and take it with us… we can stay somewhere else if we need to… like if it rains again…"

"Oh, okay… that makes sense." Ukyo motions back at the tent. "I have a camera with me… maybe we can get some nice pictures today… maybe even some pictures of us with the self timer…"

'Come to think of it… I don't know if I have any pictures with Ukyo…' Ryoga stands up. "Sounds good… I'm going to check out my tent and see if anything's worth saving…"

Ryoga walks over to his tent and finds that the devastation is total. He shakes his head and then looks back over at Ukyo's tent. Everything from my past seems to be falling apart… anything that was just me is going away… and now everything is tied in with Ukyo. My old life… all the feuding, the thirst for revenge, my wanting to be with Akane… and now my tent… it's now gone…'

Out of curiosity, Ryoga tries to form a ball of depression ki… and cannot help but smile when it fails to form. 'I guess that settles that… I'm officially not depressed…'

Ryoga sighs and then thinks about the good things that have happened recently. Ukyo and I… we sleep together, spend all of our free time together… hell, now we're even married! All that I do is tied in with her… and it makes me feel… good… I don't mind leaving those other things behind.'

Ukyo and Ryoga clean up the camp and dismantle the remaining tent before heading out. Taking his hand in hers, Ukyo leads the way, all too aware of Ryoga's penchant for getting lost. On the way to a nearby summit the couple stop a number of times to take pictures of the flora and fauna… being out in nature like this is a relatively new experience for Ukyo. Using all of his prior experience mainly that of getting lost; Ryoga points out the various subtleties of the forest.

'He's really smart… we need to spend more time "outdoors" like this… I like this…' Is Ukyo's thoughts as the morning continues and the two finally reach the summit. Ryoga steps out near the edge of a rocky outcropping and looks at the scene.

"Ain't this a great view? You can see for miles around…"

Ukyo moves next to Ryoga and then sets down her backpack. "Yeah… I'm going to get some pictures of this… it's… wow…"

Ryoga watches as she pulls out her camera from her pocket and starts taking pictures of the surrounding area. 'She's having so much fun… and it's all while she's with me…'

Ukyo nudges Ryoga with her elbow. "Hey, how about a picture of us?"

Ryoga looks around at the surrounding area and tries to find a place to mount the camera. After about a minute of searching he motions Ukyo over to a group of large rocks.

"Maybe we can set the camera up here… let's give it a shot…"

Ukyo walks over and places the camera on the spot Ryoga's pointing out. She has him stay there while she moves back and forth in an attempt to find a good spot for a picture. It takes several minutes before Ryoga tells her to stop and hold her position.

"Right there! That'd be perfect!"

Ryoga mounts the camera and the shot goes off, leaving a photographic memory on the film that both will never forget. Both begin loosening up and practice sparring with each other, Ryoga doing his best to challenge Ukyo without putting her into too much danger, knowing full well that the Amazons would be out to kill.

End part B


	29. Chapter 29: Camping Trip, Round 2 Part C

Start part C

Author note: I don't own the song "Self Control" used near the end of this chapter. That song is by Laura Branigan from the Self Control album, 1984.

Later in the day the pair walk down the mountain and right into a fall heat wave.

Ukyo begins complaining about the heat and it being really hot, she unbuttons her shirt, showing off the tank top she has on underneath. She ties the shirt underneath her chest, it shows off her stomach and lower back which allows the top portion of the shirt to remain open he can see that she s been sweating a lot it s sticking to her chest. He runs into a tree and then again and again. She begins to get worried- he s run into 3 trees and he s flushed.

Ukyo decides to take a rest to give him a chance to catch his breath and compose himself. They re nearby a small stream, she sits down by the stream and takes off her socks and shoes, which draws his attention south to her smooth legs. Her legs are in the cool water the water is dancing over her wonderful legs. Ukyo is quite oblivious to all that she s doing to her new husband- Ryoga is about to pass out from all this stimulation .

The Lost Boy is thankful when the day is over and they make camp, enjoying a nice dinner with the sunset. As a change of pace and to help with Ukyo's training, the two do night training... which helps hone their skills but knocks down several trees in the process. The training gets more and more intensive as their week draws to a close. On their last night alone, Ukyo takes out something her mom has given her and shows it to Ryoga.

"What is that?" Ryoga says while peering at the candles in her hand.

"Incense of some sort, mom said to use it to relax on our last night out... we could use something to unwind"

Ryoga nods his head. "Definitely"

"Especially after your training routine, sugar- that was tough!" Ukyo takes a deep breath and pretends to get angry with her husband. "You even tore some of my clothes!"

The Lost Boy goes on the defensive. "I didn't mean to!"

Ukyo stares for a few moments and then smiles. "Just kidding"

"Oh... okay" Ryoga takes a deep breath. "Let's see where we can put the candles..."

Suddenly the brunette chef remembers another instruction that came with the special candles. "I think we're supposed to be relaxing while their burning, let's get ready for bed first"

The new couple eagerly get ready for bed and light the incense in a holder in the corner of the tent. Both teens begin to feel relaxed and refreshed as the incense burns and the vapor fills the air. Neither one notices that the barriers between fantasy and reality are slowly disappearing...

"It's so good to be back!" Ukyo says, entering the their living room first with Ryoga following right behind.

"That was a good jog and training session, let's call it a day!"

Both teens stop in their tracks a moment later, a large blue chair is sitting in the corner of the room catches their attention.

"Where'd that come from?" the curious Ryoga asks while Ukyo moves closer and finds an attached note to it. She reads it aloud...

"For my daughter and her husband, as promised, six months after your camping trip I'd start buying you some furniture. Enjoy!"

Ryoga circles around the large blue chair and touches the fabric. "Very nice"

Ukyo plops herself down in the chair and lies back, feeling instantly relaxed. "I'm going to take a break, why don't you take a bath first then?"

"Sure, I'll be back in a little while..."

The Lost Boy leaves and Ukyo closes her eyes, feeling very comfortable and secure in the chair. 'Today was wonderful and we've been making so much progress that I decided to wear my newest set... I want to do more with my husband and I don't think either of us are afraid much anymore...'

It isn't long before Ukyo falls asleep. Ryoga in the meantime has taken a long soak and comes out to check on Ukyo. Upon seeing the sleeping brunette he blushes...

'She's wearing something different today, I can see the red outline of something. I'm a little nervous... I think she's ready to do more and I want to make sure I make her feel good and do things right...'

Feeling a little overcome by emotions, Ryoga decides to head back to the bathroom and soak for a few more minutes to calm his nerves. The brunette chef wakes up from her nap a few minutes later and looks around...

"Oh, I feel asleep..." Ukyo looks up at the clock. "Where's Ryoga?"

The brunette heads downstairs first and then comes back up, passing by her radio on the way to the bathroom. On a hunch, she turns it on and starts hearing music...

"Hmm, that has a catchy beat..."

The opening lyrics begin playing and Ukyo gets caught up in the song, dancing in place to it...

(Author note: The following is the song "Self Control" by Laura Branigan from the Self Control album, 1984)

"Oh, the night is my world"

"City light painted girl"

"In the day nothing matters"

"It's the night time that flatters"

"In the night, no control"

"Through the wall something's breaking"

"Wearing white as you're walkin'"

"Down the street of my soul"

"You take my self, you take my self control"

"You got me livin' only for the night"

"Before the morning comes, the story's told"

"You take my self, you take my self control"

After hearing the last line of lyrics, the brunette realizes why both of them, despite being married in at least the Amazon sense, have not "gone all the way".

'Self control, we both have too much of it, we need to let go of it completely so we aren't nervous'

The song continues to play and Ryoga, getting more curious about where Ukyo's at as well as the song itself, gets out of the bath and dries himself off. He puts a towel around his waist and opens the door- immediately he spots his wife standing in front of the radio, her eyes closed and her body moving back and forth to the beat of the song.

"Ukyo..."

Immediately Ukyo puts a finger to her lips, indicating to Ryoga to not speak as the song continues...

"Another night, another day goes by"

"I never stop myself to wonder why"

"You help me to forget to play my role"

"You take my self, you take my self control"

"I, I live among the creatures of the night"

"I haven't got the will to try and fight"

"Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it"

"That tomorrow never comes"

"A safe night, I'm living in the forest of my dream"

"I know the night is not as it would seem"

"I must believe in something, so I'll make myself believe it"

"That this night will never go"

"Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh"

"Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh"

"Oh, the night is my world"

"City light painted girl"

"In the day nothing matters"

"It's the night time that flatters"

"I, I live among the creatures of the night"

"I haven't got the will to try and fight"

"Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it"

"That tomorrow never knows"

"A safe night, I'm living in the forest of a dream"

"I know the night is not as it would seem"

"I must believe in something, so I'll make myself believe it"

"That this night will never go"

"Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh"

"You take my self, you take my self control" (X10 and fade out)

As the song finally reaches its conclusion, Ukyo stares at Ryoga for a minute then takes his hand.

"Follow me"

Wondering what Ukyo's up to, Ryoga doesn't resist as his wife pulls him into the front room and positions him on the side of the new blue chair. She lies down in the large chair and makes herself comfortable.

"Ryoga, kiss me"

The Lost Boy leans down and begins kissing Ukyo, slowly at first, then increasing in passion as the two lovers tongues meet. Six months of practicing more intimate things like deep kissing allow both parties to know exactly what the other wants. A growing feeling of pleasure inside Ukyo makes her realize that she was right- they're losing control and she's enjoying each second of love making more and more.

Pulling away for a moment, the brunette chef lets her husband know about this secret, the one thing that's prevented them from going all the way despite their increasing familiarity with each others bodies in the last six months.

"Ryoga, sugar, you take my self control" she whispers softly.

"I do?" Ryoga repositions himself and prepares to kiss her neck.

"Of course you do..." Ukyo is interrupted by the new kisses, this time on her neck. "Mmm... I love what you're doing now and I'm feeling out of control"

Ryoga begins to get what she's talking about. "Ah..."

"Please help me... I want you to take my self control Ryoga" the brunette replies in an almost pleading tone.

"Okay..."

Having a license to proceed, Ryoga does that, kissing her neck gently and moving one hand down onto her behind, reaching underneath the sweatpants and panties to squeeze the tender flesh, causing Ukyo to blush.

"I love it when you grab my ass..."

"I'm trying to lose my own self control" Ryoga admits aloud. "Help me, Ukyo"

Knowing everytime she acts bold or emboldens her husband to due something the result is positive so she moves her right hand slowly forward, despite her closed eyes and body reaction to her husbands' ministrations. Her fingers finally reach their target and close. With a quick yank, Ukyo releases the last of her own personal self control...

The brunette chef opens her eyes. "Does that help?"

Crimson red cheeks on her husband answer her question as the now naked Ryoga begins pulling off her sweatpants, revealing the red lace panties beneath. He whispers "Yes" into her ear before continuing his dual passion attack, his hands wandering around her smooth legs and hips and his lips placing kisses on her lips and neck.

The warm feeling inside Ukyo continues to grow as her back begins to arch up as a result of the passionate love she's exchanging with her husband. Ryoga notices this and slips in a familiar comment...

"Feeling appreciated?"

"Oh yes..." Ukyo says while purposely moaning to emphasize her point.

"I used to worry about making you feel good, but not anymore, I know what I'm doing..."

"I can tell, sugar... more, please? How about your other favorite place to touch me?"

Appreciating the guidance, Ryoga turns his attention to his wife's ample chest and the red garment that he can see through her shirt. Having been curious about it since their jog it takes mere moments for the Lost Boy to remove her white shirt and gaze at her red bustier top.

"I like that flower pattern and the way it shows off your figure"

"Thank you" Ukyo says appreciatively. "I picked something girly, feminine..."

Ryoga finishes her sentence. "And sexy. Let me get back to work..."

Though his lips continue their attack on her lips and neck, Ryoga's hands go for a new target and begin to slowly massage Ukyo's breasts, eliciting soft moans as the brunette feels increasingly "appreciated" with every passing second.

Other then their lovers names, no words are spoken as any remaining self control melts away in both parties due to the increased boldness of their actions as their lovemaking continues and Ukyo realizes how strong yet truly gentle her husband can be... and Ryoga realizes that it's okay to have a gentle side and that he can use it to properly take care of his wife.

Non-verbal signals are used to signal more or to move onto the next level, the chef pushes his hand down onto her stomach and lower to signal her need to move on. Ryoga closes his eyes for a moment and prepares himself to do something that he hasn't done before, move onto a new level of intimacy with Ukyo. His fingers reach under the band of the panties and he gently pulls them off and tosses them aside.

After exchanging a blush filled gaze with his wife, the pair return to their kissing, with Ryoga's hands wondering around her body freely bringing pleasure to both parties. Slowly as time goes on, Ryoga's attention changes from her lower body to her upper body. Ukyo feels waves of intense pleasure as he works her upper body, stopping occasionally to unhook part of her bustier. Eventually the bustier is removed and the two lovers, running on true lust and desire, ready themselves for the final step.

"You're gorgeous" Ryoga says softly as he gazes at his now naked wife and her lovely figure.

Ukyo nods appreciatively then says "Sugar, get on the chair" while adjusting her position. For the first time the naked Ryoga steps away from the side of the chair, allowing his wife to get a look at him as well.

"Very handsome... show me how well you've mapped me out in the last six months"

Playing along with her comment about him, Ryoga cannot help but saying his next words with a grin. "I don't get lost on your body"

Ukyo winks shyly. "Prove it sugar"

The Lost Boy picks an appropriate dirty reply for his wife. "I hope your ready to cook with me..."

"Yes..."

No more encouragement is needed as Ryoga gets on the chair and both lovers adjust their positions accordingly, letting loose all of their love and lust for one another, finally achieving what both had been secretly wanting for quite some time- the courage to do the final bonding and bare all. Both use all their energies towards their common goal as Ukyo's hands finally get to touch her husband and wonder around just as his had earlier. After what feels like forever, both lovers are spent and collapse on the chair...

Slowly, Ryoga opens his eyes and begins to arise from his stupor. He looks down and sees Ukyo snuggled against him, her brown hair filling most of his vision. He gently caresses her hair as his eyes look around...

'That was a dream? I'm back in the tent with my clothes on... what a dream...'

Ryoga begins to blush and then hears his wife speak.

"Some dream, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess that incense did help us relax... in our dreams..."

Ukyo's face goes red as well. "It sure did- you definitely weren't lost..."

The Lost Boy grins. "And you were definitely cooking..."

Silence fills the tent for several moments after that comment- both parties realize they had the exact same dream and what their innermost desires for one another must truly be. Shyly, Ukyo makes a comment to break the silence.

"Promise to be loving and gentle like that when we're ready"

Ryoga has no problems with that request. "I promise"

"Great..."

Both Ukyo and Ryoga silently hold each other until they fall asleep, feeling a little embarrassed to talk about what they just dreamt but wanting the closeness and body heat of their respective partner. A deep, fulfilling sleep envelops both of them.

Early the next day the couple in training returns, bringing back pictures from their trip and tell the others about the name change. Ranma doesn t believe that Ryoga would have the guts to touch Ukyo and Mousse says the same thing as well cause of the way Ryoga reacted when they taught Ukyo the move. The pictures are brought out and the first pile is gone through quite quickly, being filled with pictures of scenery from the trip.

"Nice pics but I don't see any evidence yet" Ranma says while reaching for the second pile. "Is the pic in here?"

"Yeah" Ryoga says with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

After a few innocent pics of the pair together one gets everyone s attention

Well I ll be damned he did do it Ranma says, not believing his eyes.

Mousse and Akane nod their heads and Ukyo looks at Ryoga.

I told you to hold me you re supposed to have your arm around my shoulders or waist not on my breasts! The picture was supposed to be of us with that scenic background the one we spent several minutes on trying to get the perfect shot ... you get lost everywhere, don't you?"

So that s why it felt so soft Ryoga says, embarrassed. I ummm mean sorry that I messed it up

Still it felt good Ukyo admits with a slight blush on her face.

You re getting to be like your brother, Ukyo Akane comments to the chef as she nudges her with her elbow.

Oh come on, Akane Ranma begins to protest, not wanting the others to know yet about his new level of intimacy with Akane.

Say you may be right and aren t you and Ranma the same, too? Ukyo says with a slight grin, knowing that her brother has done the same training as she had just undertaken.

Well, umm Akane s voice trails off and mumbles a yes

So you all are a bunch of perverts, huh? Mousse comments to no one in particular.

Shampoo then taps him on the shoulder, "Shampoo think Mousse mean we all perverts."

"Um... Shampoo..." Mousse stutters in reply.

"But Mousse tell Shampoo he want Shampoo dress as a Sailor Senshi and then Mousse be..."

Mousse moved quickly to cover Shampoo's mouth while smiling nervously.

Oh, that s nothing Nabiki says as she enters the room. You should hear how Ranma and Akane carry on these days it s hard for a girl to get any sleep at night

Ranma blushes and Akane gets a little miffed as a result of her sisters comment.

I wouldn t be talking you certainly aren t quiet as a mouse over in your room, either Akane sticks out her tongue and Ryoga and Ukyo chuckle.

Tis true, I fear half of the town hears us..." Kuno says as he enters the room, only adding to the tension being felt inside these four walls.

Nabiki quickly covers Kuno s mouth with her hand and cannot help but blush furiously. Akane and Ranma blush as well, knowing full well that noise from either of them seemed to encourage the others next door and vice versa.

Ukyo looks at Ryoga and whispers I m glad we re living in our own place I wouldn t want anyone to hear us

Hear what? Nabiki says, catching part of what Ukyo said.

Umm nothing The chef says as she turns her now red face away from Nabiki.

What are you doing to my sister? Ranma asks, feeling a sudden urge to be protective of his sister.

"Nothing that you aren't doing to her, brother." Ukyo says defensively.

"But that's perverted!" Ranma says, trying not let his mind wander.

"How is it perverted... oh... um..." Ukyo suddenly blushed as she imagined some of the perverted bedroom games that they could be partaking in. Akane may have had special training from Happosai but then we all did later I don t remember anything about games unless mom gave her one of those scrolls for couples

Nabiki notices the picture album sitting in Ranma s lap and asks to take a look. Kuno looks over her shoulder as she begins flipping through the pages stopping at one picture in particular.

So I see you wore that outfit that your mom and I picked out you look nice, Ukyo.

T-thanks I wasn t sure about wearing it at first but I m glad I did. It felt girly Ukyo tries not to blush as she thinks about that day and how Ryoga couldn t keep his eyes off of her for one moment the whole time she had that on.

I see I can tell Ryoga likes it he has his hand on your shirt in this one and looks like he s got quite a handful Nabiki says to the now very embarrassed Ukyo.

You appear to be quite friendly in this picture Kuno says as he observes the photo for himself.

Sister now married to Ryoga friendliness okay for couple to have Shampoo comments happily.

Of course you two are married so I guess I can t say too much Nabiki says, looking at the embarrassed couple. Doesn t mean that I ll stop, though

Kuno gasped he caught only some of what she said. "But Nabiki... you mean... you'd stop our..."

"SHUT UP!" Nabiki yelled back at him.

You may not be an Amazon but it sounds to me like you d already be married if you were Mousse says after thinking out what was just said. Nabiki quickly places a hand over Kuno s mouth to prevent him from saying a word.

No comment

Seems like a yes to me, sis Akane says, taking the opportunity to tease her sister.

Kuno, we re leaving Nabiki says, wanting to get away from this situation. She places the photo album on the floor and stands up.

Where are we going? Kuno asks, not knowing where his love wishes to go.

Nabiki quickly tries to make up a place to go to outside of the house. Well we could umm go back to your boat. Yeah I wanna see how that yacht of yours is coming along

Tis a good idea it is almost time for her maiden voyage

That s right you ve mentioned that before. When is her maiden voyage? A curious Ukyo asks.

Tis this Friday you are all invited to the launching ceremony Kuno says with pride.

That sounds good but you re not going out to sea with it, are you? I don t wanna end up stranded on some island again Ranma says, remembering the last time he was on a boat with Kuno. But Akane did end up with that dress and I saved her and we got a little closer maybe it wasn t all bad

There is no need to worry the boat will not be more then a few kilometers from shore and the maiden voyage will be with my beloved Nabiki only

Nabiki blushes and silently leans against Kuno. All the other eyes in the room focus on Kuno and Nabiki.

How long is this cruise? Ryoga asks, curious about how long this voyage will be.

Seven days Is Kuno s reply back.

Akane is shocked. Seven days alone with Kuno? You re taking off school to

Nabiki clears her throat. I ve already cleared it with daddy and besides, didn t you spend a week alone with Ranma in the woods?

Well we only did that for training purposes not too much happened Akane says with a slight blush.

Nabiki has an answer for that but Shampoo beats her to it.

Sister come back as Akane Saotome surely she had some fun with Ranma

Nabiki takes this chance to quickly make an exit, pulling Kuno out of the room with her. She had been hoping to keep that seven day cruise a secret at least, as long as possible. Despite what she said, the pair quietly sneak up to her room.

The other couples continue to talk downstairs and share their some of their experiences as a couple with each other as Nabiki and Kuno sit silently on her bed.

I m not that loud am I? Nabiki says in a serious tone.

I I was merely making a joke

Good because if I was that loud, we couldn t have some fun right now Nabiki says in a sultry tone.

You cannot wait for our cruise? An excited Kuno asks.

Nabiki rolls her eyes. I don t mean THAT kind of fun I just want you to be a little intimate with me

I know I was trying to lighten up the mood

Sorry I m not used to you having a sense of humor Nabiki says as she leans against the kendoist.

Tis okay. I have been working hard at it I want to be more normal Kuno says with a sigh.

Look, Kuno ever since you ve stopped taking that medicine, you ve really gotten my attention. My sister may have given you those photos of me but to tell the truth I may have eventually asked you out even if you didn t ask me first

Kuno says nothing but slowly leans back, causing Nabiki to sit back up in her original position. He stretches out on the bed and motions Nabiki towards him

I wish to hold thee

Nabiki smiles and gets on all fours over Kuno, causing him to blush as his eyes look over her body.

You are truly beautiful

I know Nabiki says as she lowers her body on top of his. And you re handsome

After a brief smile Kuno makes his move, pressing his lips against hers. As they continue to kiss, Nabiki slowly wraps her arms around him. I can t wait for this boat launch I hate having to worry about what everyone thinks or hears

Soft moans fill the air as Kuno gently squeezes her behind. Nabiki can tell that he s excited and probably thinking the same thing.

A few minutes later the door opens and Nodoka sees the two teens, sans shirts, in the bed making out.

Excuse me Nabiki, have you seen Nodoka stops and then rubs her eyes. Carry on then " The woman turned to leave then suddenly stuck her head back in the room, "and make lots of grandchildren for me!

Nabiki cannot help but say- This is why we need to get out of here I hate being interrupted

Do you think we ll be left alone or will others come up here to interrupt us? Kuno says, wondering what Nabiki thinks about that matter.

I don t know but

Kuno moves his right hand off of her back and around to the front of her body, following the fabric of her bra. You wish to continue?

Sure why not? Who cares about the others

Kuno grins sheepishly. My thoughts exactly

The two fail to notice that the door has opened yet again a stunned figure stands in the doorway.

"Oh my, Nabiki that is not proper..."

Nabiki growled at her sister. "Screw proper! Damn it! I can't stand this!"

Kuno sighed and in a low voice said, "I believe the mood has been killed."

Akane and Ranma stop in their tracks and look knowingly at each other. A moment later, Akane hears Ranma whispering in her ear

I was gonna ask yah to do something but I don t wanna attract attention

A bright red blush goes across Akane s face and her heart begins to race. Ranma I

Looking down at his wife, Ranma cannot help but suspect she s thinking that he meant something sexual I guess I better tell her what I was thinkin of before

Akane

Yes? Akane says sweetly, her voice registering a slight twinge of nervousness.

This is what I meant

Ranma turns and whispers in Akane s ear and barely finishes his message before getting interrupted by an all too familiar voice

Isn t that cute Ranma s whispering sweet nothings into your ear

Not being in the mood for games, Akane crossing her arms across her chest and lets out a little Hhmmph before speaking

Say all you want but I wasn t caught in the act by Kasumi

Now hold on a second here Kuno and I were Nabiki replies back immediately, Kuno continues her thought a moment later.

We were doing nothing of the kind. Tis normal for a couple to express affection and it was nowhere near the activity of which you may be thinking

After taking a good look at Kuno s serious face and then at her sister, Akane decides to drop the subject.

Okay, I believe you

Good . Nabiki says with a nod. You should trust your older sister

A thought comes to mind on how to help defuse the situation for not only Akane and Ranma but Kasumi as well. We shall return with dinner inform Kasumi that we will take care of dinner tonight

Sounds good ta me just don t take too long I m already gettin hungry Ranma says as he rubs his stomach. Akane just sighs and thinks Typical Ranma but that s okay after living with him in the same house for so long I ve picked up on his habits

Kuno chuckles as a result of Ranma s comment and the couple makes a hasty exit, already knowing their final destination and where dinner is going to come from. On the way to Kuno s house Nabiki cannot help but think one thing Privacy I just want a little to work out my feelings to see if this is really what I want that s why I really want to take this cruise with Kuno

After Nabiki leaves, Ranma and Akane walk down the hallway in an effort to find Kasumi, whom they know is upstairs somewhere in short order they find her folding laundry in her room

Kasumi you don t have to make dinner tonight Akane announces from the doorway.

This gets Kasumi s attention and she turns her head to look at her younger sister. I see but if I may ask, who is making dinner then?

Nabiki and Kuno are bringing something home for dinner, they wanted us to tell you Akane says and Ranma nods his head in acknowledgement of that fact.

That s nice I guess I ll have some time to take a break after folding my laundry it s been a long day Kasumi says with a soft sigh.

By taking just one glance at her sister, Akane can tell that she s tired. Maybe you should take a nap after you re done

After contemplating that thought for a moment, Kasumi smiles. Maybe you re right

We ll let yah know when dinner s ready Ranma says, wanting to give Kasumi a break.

Okay see you two later! Kasumi says before returning to her work, which proceeds at a faster pace then before. I think I need that nap

Back in the hallway, Ranma and Akane quietly make their exit and head back to their room. Akane walks in first and is surprised to hear the door lock click behind her

Ranma the door

I want some privacy wit my tomboy I m sure Nabiki isn t gonna be back right away Ranma says, trying not to be nervous.

True Akane glances over at her window and notices that the shades are already down, the sunlight coming through the cracks and illuminating the center of the room.

Your room looks kinda empty without a bed, yah know even with my stuff in here now Ranma says as he looks around, making sure that no one is hiding in the room. I m tired of surprises in this room I don t know how my mom manages to get in here without makin a sound

Akane sits down on the futon and Ranma follows suit. So, Ranma what did you want to do again?

All this talk this mornin about couples and stuff got me thinkin about us so I wanted to spend some time wit yah

Sounds good I like spending time with you Ranma I really liked our camping trip. That cooking was even more fun!

That was fun and the way you were dressed wow

Akane blushes. I m glad that you think I m really attractive

You are but I used to say stuff to make yah think I wasn t interested Ranma admits, telling her something that he had been holding inside for some time.

But you were despite everything that happened you still saved me and bought me Christmas gifts I thought you disappeared that one time Akane says as she leans on Ranma s shoulder.

I didn t mean to make yah worry but the look on your face after I gave yah all of those gifts that was priceless A reminiscing Ranma says, a smile forming on his face.

Even though my sister had everyone over it was still our Christmas and then the last one, you got me that picture

Ranma points over at the top of his dresser. Of course, I still got that scarf yah made

Good

Akane looks up at Ranma and their eyes meet. Slowly, the two lovers move their lips closer and closer until the meet. It doesn t take long before the two are involved in a very passionate kissing session Akane can feel Ranma s hands caressing her thighs and squeezing her behind while she actively presses her upper body against him.

This is what you really wanted to do, isn t it? Akane says with a sly grin.

Ranma blushes. Umm it was actually a little more then this

More?

Well, yeah we've been kinda holding back since that night, except for that cooking excursion yesterday.

Akane feels Ranma s hands go up slightly and then feels a tug on her shirt. He wants to take it off maybe he wants to see me in lingerie again that has to be it

After a moment, Akane comes to a decision and raise her arms straight up, allowing Ranma to remove her shirt. He gently tosses it aside and gazes at Akane

You look great Akane

Thanks Akane says as she feels her heart pounding in her chest. The excitement begins to get to her and she begins taking deeper breaths, adding to the effect that her chest is having on her husband.

That s a start but I m still not done Ranma says nervously, trying to keep his resolve.

Before Akane can say a word, she feels her pants being removed and also tossed to the side, leaving her in her lingerie. A red blush covers Akane s face as she looks at Ranma

Ranma you re getting so bold at home here it s kind of exciting

Glad yah think so but you look cold Ranma says as he reaches over for their blanket and hands it to Akane. Here

A mischievous glint can be seen in Akane s eyes a moment later. Thank you but we re not done yet. It s my turn now

Knowing what Akane meant by that, Ranma scoots forward a little and allows her to first remove his shirt, and then, with some slight hesitation, take off his sweatpants, leaving both parties in their underwear

Several moments of silence follow and then Akane decides to try a joke to break the ice

So now that were both halfway undressed what did you want to talk about? She says with a nervous chuckle.

Well Ranma stops and notices that for some reason, Akane is still shivering. He lies down on the futon and motions her to lie down next to him, which she does, her eyes full of anticipation and wonder about what her new husband is going to do next.

After a few adjustments, Ranma covers them both with the blanket and feels Akane snuggle her head against his chest. Instinctively, he wraps his arms around her and begins gently rubbing her back

Now that we re comfortable I guess I can tell yah what s on my mind us. I mean, this whole husband and wife thing

Oh

Ranma continues. I mean we re married by the Amazon tradition and we got rings two days ago but there s still that official marriage thing we gotta do

Yeah that s true. I ve been thinking about it a little

Go on Ranma says, wanting to here her thoughts on the matter.

Maybe we should wait until school is done before having the ceremony

Ranma smiles. Well, we could do that it d give us some time to set stuff up

Or we could wait until our summer break and do it between grade levels, if we don t want to wait that long

Hmm we got a few months to think about it still but I don t want a huge ceremony or anything I want it to be nice, yah know

Akane smiles. I agree let s keep it manageable

I also wanted to talk to yah about training I think we should do our training together more often yah got the talent and I can show you some new moves and when I think you re ready, some even more advanced and dangerous stuff

Hearing that concerns Akane a little. But won t that be... I mean some of your moves can break bones or even kill if you really wanted to. What I mean to say is... A brief pause conveys Akane s concerns to Ranma.

I ain t gonna hurt yah if you use that suit again and stay focused and in control it hurt me that first time you wore it don t worry about me hurting you Ranma chuckles at that memory briefly and then looks into Akane s eyes. She nervously looks away, not wanting to think about the all of the trouble involved with that first time

Ranma are you sure? I mean A hesitant Akane says while burying her head into his chest.

Saying nothing, Ranma decides the best thing to do is to gently caress her hair. Slowly, Akane raises her head up and looks at Ranma s face, which is now sporting a smile.

I m sure and I already know how to get the suit to stop working so I m willin to take the chance I want to practice with you, Akane.

Akane places a kiss on Ranma s cheek. And I want to learn show me, Ranma

No problem

Ranma feels Akane gently lowering her head onto his chest in an effort to get comfortable. Gently, he caresses her hair and takes note of how soft it feels

She s beautiful everything about her is soft. It took a while, but I m feelin comfortable with her, with her body and with her voice with her personality and with her l love

Several minutes later Akane turns her head and looks at Ranma s face and finds that he s fallen asleep. He must be tired or is he really comfortable with me? She looks at his face and pulls her body up slightly to get a better view of his chest.

He s handsome why did I keep denying it? I m lucky I got a chance a real chance and now I m his his wife.

Sitting up, Akane carefully rearranges the covers so they keep Ranma warm while she thinks about their current situation. We re married at least in an Amazon sense and I think it wasn t too fast that this happened but at least I can accept feeling these feelings and not push him away. I used to call him perverted but both of us was secretly thinking certain thoughts about the other

Akane tilts her head down and looks at her body and what s she s wearing and realizes something important. She places her hand on her now rapidly beating heart and blushes. Look at me wearing sexy lingerie and being with him like this I d have called it perverted in the past but this is what I really wanted. I ve got a real reason to dress in sexy stuff like this and not keep it secret, at least from him. Thanks, Ranma for giving me a chance to show off how feminine I can really be

The sleeping Ranma is unaware of the warm smile that Akane has on her face though in his heart, he knows that she s happy and so is he. A little while later, Akane hears the doors to the house open and Nabiki s voice she immediately wakes Ranma up, though in a way that he s not expecting

Mmm that was a good kiss Akane

I m glad you liked it but we need to get dressed. Nabiki s back

Realizing the situation they re in, despite the door being closed, Ranma quickly gets on his feet and begins to get dressed. Akane follows suit and as the two put their clothes back on Ranma says something in a low voice

Tonight can we do this again?

Of course Akane decides quickly. But you may have to do something else for me if we re going to spend the whole night like that we ll talk about it later. Let s get downstairs and eat I m feeling hungry

Me too Ranma says before the sound of his growling stomach is heard. Let s eat!

End Part C

Author note: The dream pic's chair (Ukyo and Ryoga) was inspired by the song "Self Control" by Laura Branigan, 1984. You can see what I mean here by watching the video and noting the chair at the end... hell, that whole dream sequence was inspired by the video: .com/watch?v=5IyAGpooGko Here's a link to the pic of Ukyo and Ryoga on the blue chair: .com/art/dream-a-little-dream-of-me-3-165175284 


	30. Chapter 30: Camping Trip, Round 2 Part D

Start Part D

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Nabiki purposely stares at her sister but says nothing. After five minutesof this silent treatment, Akane can take no more and slams her hands on the table.

It's at this point that Nabiki decides to break the silence. "Sleep well, Sis? Sounds like you were uncomfortable or something... Ranma giving you some problems?"

Akane shakes her head. "I'm fine- I was comfortable... and Ranma wasn't causing any problems..."

"You're right, he wasn't a troublemaker. But are you okay?"

The youngest Tendo sister tries to figure out what her older sister is getting at. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well I thought you might ve had a stomach ache."

AKane is even more confused. "A stomach ache?"

"Yes, with the way you were moaning and carrying on, you sounded..."

Blushing madly Akane broke in- "And what about you and Kuno... I bet Auntie would just love to know that..."

As if beckoned Kuno appears in the room a moment later, followed by Ranma and Nodoka.

Touch , Sis. I guess I can t blackmail you with that and I m sure you wanna keep certain people unaware of your activities as much as I do Nabiki said softly to her sister.

"Verily... how do you put up with this woman s comments about manliness?" Kuno asked Ranma as quietly as he could.

Ranma shudders and whispers "You should try to listen to her talk about being manly and stuff while she's tryin' ta force ya ta wear a dress an makeup..."

"Ah I see... I... what?" Kuno stops abruptly and stares at Ranma. "Are you well?"

Ranma is confused by that last part. "Me? Of course I am!"

"I could've sworn I heard you moaning last night, did you eat something that did not agree with your body?"

Before Ranma or Akane can comment on that, Nabiki slips in a witty remark about her sister.

"Did you cook something bad for your husband, sis?"

Akane gets defensive. "No... my cooking is much improved lately..."

"Really?" the brunette continues to tease her younger sister about her cooking and its reputation for being very unpalatable.

Ranma watches as Akane's eyes narrow. "Did you know I made breakfast yesterday? You seemed to like that just fine"

Nabiki feigns shock. "Oh... I'm surprised I'm not dead then..."

Before a fight can break out between the two sisters Nodoka enters the room and promptly chastises the middle Tendo daughter.

"Nabiki, that's enough. Akane can make some meals on her own now... and she's dedicated herself to improving. I think perhaps you need to apply that idea to your training"

Kuno contemplates what Ranma's mother just said and comes to a conclusion. "Perhaps she has a point..."

"KUNO!" Nabiki exclaims, not liking this sudden turnabout of teasing from Akane to her. The brunette begins eating her breakfast at a more rapid pace in order to expedite her departure from the table...

Having a sudden idea on how to help Nabiki with her training, Nodoka pulls Kuno aside and begins talking to him, making the other three teens at the table wonder what she's up to.

"Looks like auntie's working on something just for you, sis" Akane teases as she eats her own breakfast. Nabiki ignores her though inwardly worries what Nodoka is planning with her boyfriend. She watches out of the corner of her eye as those two move to the edge of the room and Nodoka disappears briefly, returning with a small brown bag which she gives to Kuno.

'I wonder what's in that bag? I guess I'll find out later...'

Ranma decides to ask a question instead of teasing the brunette at the table... Nabiki appreciates the change in conversation.

"So, yah still workin' on those 'Raining' techniques?"

"Yes, I am. I still need to focus on the power, I think I got the speed down..."

"We saw the result of that with Kuno's practice uniform" Akane adds without sounding critical. "It's good to see you getting back into the martial arts, sis"

Nabiki shrugs her shoulders. "Since this is one enemy that really can't be bought off... I guess I have no choice"

As Nabiki finishes off her breakfast she cannot help but notice Kuno standing in the doorway, seemingly lost in thought. She wonders if Nodoka told him anything bad...

Kuno perks up instantly once Nabiki finishes her food and begins heading towards him. "Ah, you are finished with your meal"

"Yeah, I'm done. Help me pack so we can get out of here"

"Of course my love"

Nabiki and Kuno make a hasty exit and head upstairs to pack. After they leave Ranma and Akane whisper a few words to each other and realize that they weren't quiet enough...

"We got lucky this time, baka"

"Yeah, guess you're right, tomboy"

Nodoka watches this quiet exchange between her son and his wife with curiosity and wonders if more has been happening since their first cooking excursion then she realizes...

Upstairs, in Nabiki's room, the brunette packs her clothes, knowing there'll be lots of excercise and movement with the training, packs mostly supportive and sports bras as she empties out her clothing drawers, though she throws some surprises into the mix, in case things get really intimate. Shirts, sweatpants, and shorts get thrown in along with some pants to cover any kind of weather they may encounter.

"Looks like you are now truly prepared for the training" Kuno notes as she zips up the bag.

Nabiki picks up the bag and puts the strap over her shoulder. "I think so, let's get going... I don't want to get any lectures on the way out"

The pair make a quiet and hasty exit and make their way to the boat, with Kuno holding the gift bag from Nodoka with care, taking great lengths to protect the contents. Once they get to the boat the bag and Nabiki's clothes are stowed and soon the boat is underway, heading to a protected place for some privacy and security as the couple prepares to engage in a week of intense training...

Back at the Tendo house, Nodoka and Genma eat their breakfast at the table while Soun readings the morning paper.

Genma immediately makes mention of something good that his wife did this morning. "Thanks, dear, for changing my work schedule"

"It wasn't to give you a break, you and I need to practice our sword skills..." Nodoka reaches for a sword on her right and passes it to her husband. "Well, maybe you need the practice..."

"Swords?" Genma is confused about this choice of martial arts training.

"Our opponents use them... and we want to be prepared and give them a few surprises, right Soun?"

Soun closes his paper and nods his head. "You're right. I'll be joining you as well..."

Kasumi walks in and sees swords near all three people at the table. Needless to say this catches the brunette off guard. "Oh my, father..."

"Nothing to worry about Kasumi, we're just going to be engaging in some alternate training this weekend"

"Ah..." Kasumi reaches down and takes the dishes off of the table and heads to the kitchen. While she cleans and does her daily chores she ponders the ever increasing tension over this Amazon threat. She also begins to wonder about her own safety as she's still on basics with Dr. Tofu- Nabiki has really progressed in skill in the last few weeks.

'I hope I can learn more before we get attacked...'

Back in the dining room, Nodoka and Soun discuss the situation with the middle Tendo daughter and the trip she's currently engaged in.

"I hope that Kuno will follow my advice, he needs to really get her trained and push her- she needs endurance"

Soun nods his head. "I agree, she's picked up the skill rather quickly but she still needs to be able to hang in there during a fight"

Hearing that makes Genma wonder about something he saw earlier. "What did you give Kuno in that bag?"

A large smile forms on Nodoka's face. "Well, I'm two for two... our son and daughter have really gotten closer to their mates so I figured something for their last night was in order. A little incense to help them relax..."

"By the end of the week, they'll probably need to relax" is Soun's reply, not knowing exactly what the true power of this special incense is.

"Indeed" Nodoka reaches for the sword at her side. "You two head out to the yard, I'll be right there"

Mrs. Saotome, noticing that Kasumi looked a little shocked and worried, decides to check on her before starting the mornings' training. She finds her cleaning the dishes in the kitchen, humming a tune to herself.

"Kasumi..."

The tall brunette stops what she's doing and turns around. "Yes, Auntie?"

"Are you okay? You looked a little distracted earlier"

"I'm fine... but I'm worried about this sudden change in tactics. I haven't seen Daddy use weapons in a long time..."

Nodoka steps forward and gives Kasumi a reassuring hug. "It'll be fine... you'll be fine. Maybe it's time to move to level two with the Doctor- show him you're ready for more intense training. I don't want to see you get hurt if you're attacked and we're not around"

Kasumi thinks about that for a few moments and then shyly nods her head. "Okay, I will try that at lunchtime when I go over for my training. Thank you, Auntie"

Nodoka smiles. "You're welcome Kasumi"

With that Nodoka leaves the room and heads outside to practice her sword fighting with her husband and Soun. In the meantime Kasumi happily hums her way through her chores, feeling good about the advice she recieved earlier. After accomplishing her chore list for the day she heads off for Dr. Tofu's office, clad in sweatpants and a T-shirt as she jogs down the streets and alleyways...

"Right on time Kasumi" the Doctor says soflty to himself as the brunette approaches. "She's jogging over here, that's good, it'll help her build up her cardio"

"Good afternoon" Kasumi says warmly as she reaches her love interest.

"Are you ready for our daily training?"

Kasumi takes a bow. "Yes, I'm ready... but I want to work on our other training first... like we normally do"

A red tingle forms on Kasumi's cheeks as she thinks about this "other" training. Doctor Tofu motions her in, turning his own blusing face away for a moment in order to try and regain his own composure. He takes a seat in a large chair in his waiting room and waits for Kasumi to make her move...

'Let's see if he's ready for level two of this training... I hope so...' Kasumi thinks as she moves closer and goes in for a kiss.

Normally the pair would kiss for a while and Doctor Tofu would wrap his arms around her and hold her, each training session makes him more comfortable with her and garners a faster reaction. Yesterday Kasumi noted his hands starting to caress her hips before the kiss ended. This time, however, Kasumi applies more force to the kiss, prompting an escalation by her lover as his hands gently squeeze her behind.

'Oh my... he's being so bold... just like Auntie said he would if he was comfortable. I hope this isn't too improper...'

Despite the sudden boldness on the Doctor's part, Kasumi cannot motivate herself to stop this "comfort" training. Deep emotions and desires begin to manifest themselves in the normally reserved Kasumi as she presses her body forward, pushing her lover back into the chair. Tofu's hands stop for a moment then react accordingly to this new show off passion by pulling her body towards his, their chests pressing against each other for the first time in a situation other then a hug.

About a minute later, Kasumi finally pulls away and tries to catch her breath, her face is ablaze due to what just happened.

"Oh my... did we just..."

Doctor Tofu adjusts his glasses and takes a deep breath. "I think we just moved to a new level... I didn't feel the need to act crazy at all even after things got more heated"

"Perhaps we should take a break before we go to our normal training"

Seeing a chance to calm down and gain his composure, Tofu agrees. "Good idea"

Kasumi turns her back to the Doctor and covers her face with her hands. 'What's wrong with me? I normally don't do things like this... but I want to so badly inside. Maybe Auntie is right, if your feelings are true and if it's the right person, it's not improper...'

Five minutes later the pair are sufficiently calmed down to proceed with their normal lunchtime training though Kasumi cannot stop her heart from beating a little more rapidly then usual, the close presence of Doctor Tofu seems to be effecting her more every day. 'Maybe it's love?'

Northeast of Tokyo, just offshore in a secluded cove, another couple is taking a lunchtime break to recharge their stomaches and to catch their breathes after a heated morning training session with kendo and cardio excercises.

"Good timing on lunch- I'm starving!" Nabiki exclaims as she reaches for her bento box. She opens it and despite all the scrumpcious food inside, feels the urge to tease her boyfriend.

"I hope you have another one of these..."

Kuno nods his head. "I do, I packed twice the food for our lunches and dinners... during training one does work up an appetite"

"Great..." Nabiki eagerly digs into her lunch and says very little as she devours her lunch. Kuno eats his own lunch and watches her, eating at a slower pace in order to let her have some extra time to rest before the afternoon training begins.

The afternoon training is just as intense, wearing Nabiki out completely by the end. As Kuno heats up some dinner, Nabiki takes a long hot shower and tries to relax her muscles...

'This is going to kill me... that was just day one of seven... I hope he'll give me a break or I'm not going to make it'

A little while later, despite the hot shower, the brunette is still feeling a bit sore. She speaks her mind at the dinner table which has been thoughtfully lit up with candles and low lighting by Kuno during his girlfriends' shower.

"I love the setting, Kuno-baby, very romantic"

"Thank you, I tried to make up for the intensity of the days' training" is his warm reply.

Nabiki happily nods but then gets to her point. "Are all of the days going to be like this? I'm worn out and this is day one..."

"Sadly 'tis a neccesary evil"

"Oh come on..." Nabiki protests. "I'm not in quite the same shape like my younger sister, I hope you didn't design this based on her fitness level"

Kuno shakes his head. "No, I designed this specifically for you- times are not going to get easier and the threat is quite real. I do not wish for you to get harmed- and if you are on your own and are attack, I want to be secure in my confidence that you will be able to fight back..."

That heartfelt and serious comment causes Nabiki to pause. "Oh..."

"Please eat up, we will discuss this further before bed"

Silently Nabiki eats her food and deals with an internal debate over mind vs. matter, the need to relax her muscles against the need to tough it out. Since she's not as physically active as her sister, the decision is even harder to make...

After cleaning up dinner, Tatewaki Kuno cannot help but wonder about this training schedule and whether she's going to see things through. He finds her in bed, changed into her pajamas, her back against the head of the bed.

"I see you've changed for bed"

Nabiki nods her head. "Yes, I've been waiting for you... I do have something to ask- but why don't you get changed?"

Kuno excuses himself. "I will be right back then..."

The brunette nervously waits for his return, wanting to talk more about this training... and how physically exhausting it is. Time seems to pass by at a snails pace... and finally her boyfriend returns.

After entering the room, Tatewaki instantly knows something is going on and gets right to work investigating it.

"Is something the matter? You look perplexed about something..."

"I've... I've been thinking about this training and..."

Kuno sits on the bed next to her. "Please continue"

"I'll do it- but I need your help with something in return"

That sparks Kuno's curiousity. "And what may that be?"

"I noticed your nervousness about certain things... and I have a few things to confront as well" Nabiki takes his hand and holds it. "A six day plan, to get myself ready for things to come"

"I see..." Kuno looks thoughtfully at his girlfriend. "And what is todays' activity?"

Nabiki smiles. "Take off my left sock"

"Oh... is that all?" Feeling a sense of relief, Kuno has no problem in complying with that request. He takes off her sock and puts on the floor and then tries to lighten things up.

"I am truly seduced by your marvelous foot"

"I should hope so..." Nabiki says with a wink. "I hope it's not too distracting tonight"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Let me test a theory first..."

Nabiki is surprised to feel his his hands gently massaging her foot. She doesn't protest this action until her boyfriend starts tickling her foot.

"Stop that!"

Kuno shakes his head. "As I suspected, you do have a vulnerable point"

"Not funny..." the constant tickling takes its toll and Nabiki starts laughing again.

"I enjoy hearing you laugh"

"Great... but enough is enough..."

Slowly Kuno comes to a stop and then looks intently at his girlfriend. "I think you can make it through the week"

"I'll try- but it's time to rest... maybe we can play tomorrow if you don't wear me out too much" Nabiki says with a wink at the end, trying to offer him some incentive.

"You are a sly one"

Kuno gets into bed and lets his girlfriend snuggle against him. He holds her as she falls asleep... and silently hopes she can remain strong and dedicated- her very life could be at stake.

The next day is more training, though in the morning it's more difficult due to a stiff wind blowing in from the east. A few wind gusts cause the boat to really pull at its anchor but the new yacht stands firm, not repeating the fate of Kuno's last cruise. Nabiki remains focused, even at lunch, and says few words for the rest of the day except for a "Finally" at the end of the days' training.

After shower and dinner, both parties eagerly head into the bedroom for some relaxation and rest.

"You didn't let up on your training today... but, since I'm in a generous mood, maybe we can play a little"

Kuno slides over on the bed and reaches for her socks. "Both tonight?"

"Yes, I want to bare all... of my feet"

After removing both of her socks, Kuno grins. "Truly beautiful... though I am inclined to act..."

"Act?" Nabiki's question is answered a moment later as he tickles both feet, making her laugh and wriggle in place.

"I told you not to do that!"

"You said you wanted to play..."

Unlike the previous evening the couple does more then snuggle, indulging in some hugging and kissing... but at no time does Nabiki try to remove any of her lovers clothes, which surprises Kuno a little. He decides to follow her lead and not go too far during their make out session...

Nabiki does notice how far they are going and comments on it before they go to bed.

"Maybe you'll be a little more fiesty tomorrow... when you take off three things"

"What's next?" is the reply, refering to the order of clothing removal.

The brunette teases him a little by revealing her next step in this six night program. "Pajama bottoms... and I hope you'll be able to give my legs a massage, I think they'll need it after day three of this crazy training"

"Perhaps I can comply with that request"

Nabiki's next words are very serious and change the mood. "It's good to see you with a sense of humor"

"I'm happy just to be sane again, the humor is a bonus" is the heartfelt reply. "I've had some help..."

"Good night, Kuno..." Nabiki gives her boyfriend a quick kiss and goes to sleep, wondering if she can keep pace tomorrow and not collapse... or be too tempted with the evenings' massage to want to go further with her man then she ever has before...

End of chapter 21 D 


	31. Chapter 31: Camping Trip, Round 2 Part E

Start chapter 21E

Out on the water, the third day of practice begins after a hearty breakfast. Kuno, having a game plan in mind, goes through morning warm ups and then more intense training with his girlfriend, purposely pushing her limits further and further...

Nabiki is tired and not amused by this new line of training. "You keep this up after lunch and I'm going to..."

"Going to what?" Kuno asks his girlfriend.

"Be angry..." is her reply for lack of better words.

"Let's take our lunch now and see if that's the case later, I have something special prepared for us..."

With a sigh of relief, the middle Tendo daughter relaxes and heads inside the cabin. She takes a seat while he prepares lunch... and notices a small box on the table, wrapped up like a present. 'I wonder what's in it? Maybe he has some kind of special gift for me'

A little while later, lunch is prepared and Kuno places the sumptuous food on the table- and notices that Nabiki's eyes have locked onto the small present he left on the table earlier.

"Eat up, I don't wish to incur the wrath Nabiki after all"

"You most certainly don't..." is the brunette's reply as she digs into the meal, a recreation of one her dates with Kuno with the fancy Italian cuisine. While she eats, Kuno observes her. 'She's stronger then she believes and I do admire her dedication despite the challenge'

Once Nabiki finishes eating she immediately turns her attention to the small present. "Can I open that?"

"Of course- but 'tis one of two presents for you today"

The eager brunette opens the present and finds a small box inside. She opens it and finds a golden necklace with a heart hanging in the center.

"It's beautiful..." Nabiki says while admiring the necklace, knowing full well it's real gold... and sentimental.

"Now I have truly given thee my heart..." Kuno says with a small chuckle. "Come with me, I wish to show you your other gift"

The very curious brunette puts the necklace back in the box and follows Kuno back to bedroom. He sits down on the bed and pats the space next to him, indicating to his girlfriend to sit down there.

"So, what's the surprise?" Nabiki says while sitting down, hoping that it's a good surprise.

"One cannot push the body too much or the training becomes counterproductive... so since this is the midpoint of the training, we will take a break from the training for the remainder of today"

A wide grin forms on Nabiki's face and for the first time in several days she feels an energy rush... in the blink of an eye, Kuno finds himself pinned to bed due to a sneak attack by his girlfriend...

"You really are too much... but a girl can't complain about these two surprises. For the first time since we've left I've got some energy to plan around so..."

Kuno's eyes close as he feels her hands reach into his gi and gently part the center, allowing her hands to wander all over his chest.

As Nabiki begins passionately kissing him and pressing her upper body against his, the kendoist manages to speak a few words once she stops for some air. "This was truly worth the break... and the necklace..."

"Everything has a price..." is the half serious reply back by the brunette as she feels his hands begin to grab her behind.

"It does indeed..."

The pair express their affections and eventually fall asleep to the hum of the boat's AC. Several hours later Kuno awakens and takes note of the sleeping woman on top of him. 'Truly a goddess... but I must move her to escape- I hope I don't wake her up"

Nabiki stirs a little when he leaves but remains asleep, allowing Kuno to clean up the dishes from lunch and prepare a light snack for dinner. He makes one additional stop before return to the bedroom...

Back in Nerima, up in Ranma and Akane's room the pair argue... about cooking, or at least it would seem to be to anyone else within earshot...

"Ranma, I want to work on my cooking some more!"

"Why can't we do that here?"

"Because last time it wasn't as private of a lesson as I wanted..." Akane says with a blush. She lowers her head on Ranma's chest and lowers her voice to a whisper. "I want privacy, baka, if we're going to be cooking together"

"I guess you're right, too many people wanderin' around here- a locked door don't mean nothin' to some of them..."

"Exactly!"

A gentle knock on the door interrupts the conversation. "Is everything okay in there? I heard you two arguing..."

Akane sighs aloud and Ranma tries to think of the right thing to say to his inquisitive mother. "Oh, it was nothin', just talkin' about some cookin' lessons, that's all..."

"You two can use my place whenever you want" Nodoka replies cheerfully.

Ranma groans, knowing that's not the point of the discussion. After thinking about it for a moment, Akane asks Nodoka to come in...

"Auntie, why don't you come in?"

Ranma is ready to protest when Akane shoots him a look- the pigtailed martial artist decides to pick and choose his battles- and this isn't one of those times.

Nodoka sits on the floor next to the pair and wonders why both are red in the face. "Is something wrong?"

"Umm, well..."

Akane decides to be the bold one and speak up, at least, indirectly to the topic at hand. "It's not like we don't like using your place- my cooking has greatly improved lately. It's just that too many lessons, well, could give people the wrong idea..."

"Oh..." Nodoka starts to get the "picture". "Is there something else you two are working on then?"

This time Akane is the one who can't speak... Ranma mumbles a few words about "marital arts" and turns his head away.

After taking a few moments to process what her son just said, Nodoka comes to one conclusion and puts two and two together. 'That conversation earlier in the week between Nabiki and Kuno and my son and his wife makes perfect sense'

"I'm glad you two have taken to practicing that art already... but one needs the proper setting to perform such acts"

The blushing couple silently nod their heads in agreement and then exchange glances with each other. "Umm... mom... any suggestions that don't invite suspicion? There's lots of... suspicious people here..." Ranma says, hinting at Nabiki and Happosai, just to name a few, without actually naming names.

"Leave it to me, I just need a moment to think of a solution..."

True to her word, Ranma's mother thinks of a solution to their problem that also lets them continue to use her place for cooking- of whatever sort. Once Nodoka leaves, Akane wraps her arms around Ranma's waist and pulls him back.

A grin forms on Ranma's face. "Sneak attack, huh?"

"You've always got to watch your back" is the soft reply from Akane before she rests her upper body against his back in a combination of romantic and provacative...

"Do I have your attention now?" Akane says playfully.

"Yeah, yah sure do... you know how distracting you can be, especially with the way those feel..." Ranma admits softly, verbally acknowledging his love of the pleasant pressure of her breasts on his back.

"You did good, Ranma... thanks for picking up where I left off"

"Well, it's all about the team work, right? That's part of the marriage thing..."

Ranma's mature answer makes his wife smile. "Yeah- and now we've got a new plan so maybe we can survive until we get better privacy"

"I hope so... I kinda like that perk, you know, of having you all to myself..." is the reply by Ranma as a grin forms on his face.

"Pervert... I like the perk, too..."

To prove her point, Akane reaches down and pulls up on Ranma's shirt, removing it and tossing it aside. She resumes her hug from behind, causing her husband to blush even more.

Ranma decides to tease Akane a little- the perfect words come to mind. "Don't do that... you know it's dangerous"

After mocking Akane with her own words about his actions after that dream sequence Ranma expects a fiesty response... but gets something else instead.

"Baka, I can be just as dangerous as you. Besides, there's more to team work then just working together. If I start something..."

"Then I gotta finish it, right?" is Ranma's reply, hoping it's the right answer.

"Yeah..." Akane says with a contended sigh. She feels Ranma spin around and finds his face right in front of hers a moment later.

"Looks like yah need some love, tomboy..."

A silent nod confirms Ranma's observation and allows him to proceed. First, he reaches down and pulls up on her shirt, mirroring her actions a few moments ago. He then motions her closer and as she moves in for another hug, begins gently kissing her neck.

"What about our homework?" Akane says in a teasing manner, knowing full well they were already done for the evening.

Ranma has an equally witty reply. "One subject at a time, I'm working on my fiesty tomboy right now..."

"Mmm... baka..." Akane moans softly and tilts her head to the side, allowing him to kiss the other side of her neck. Despite things quickly beginning to spiral out of control, Akane allows Ranma to continue his work, taking the pleasure over the danger of being caught in the act.

While making Akane "feel appreciated" Ranma notes just how much has changed with their relationship in the last few months... and few days. 'I guess we're both perverts now... not only do we want to touch each other but can't seem to last long without it'

As Ranma's hands begin a slow massage of her breasts Akane finally realizes things are getting a little too heated for the current setting and puts herself against Ranma's chest and whispers softly in his ear.

"You're trying to set me on fire, baka... and as much as I like it, it's not the place..."

Ranma sighs but has to agree with his wife on that one. "Yeah, I guess so..." the pigtailed martial artist says before wrapping his arms around Akane. "It's just you're irresistable sometimes, tomboy... and I know you're always wearing that sexy stuff these days..."

Noting her own change in behavior in that regard, Akane acknowledges Ranma's observation. "Only for you, my handsome baka..."

The couple continue to hold each other and eventually draw their blanket around them to keep warm and to snuggle as the night progresses...

Back on Kuno's boat, Nabiki is having a dream about being tickled that seems quite real, so real that she begins to laugh out loud until finally her body wakes up... and the brunette notices Kuno on the bed, tickling her two bare feet.

"I thought I told you not to do that!"

"But I enjoy it when you laugh and smile..." is Kuno's defense which leaves Nabiki momentarily at a loss for words.

"Exposing one of my weak points is not something I like to do... but... since you're not going to tell anyone else, I guess it's okay. Did you get that, Kuno-baby?" the brunette says, with heavy emphasis on the last part of her statement.

"Of course not, your secret is safe with me... and if I may ask, what will you do for part three of your training tonight?"

Seeing Kuno with a bottle of body lotion in his hands makes Nabiki realize that he already knows the answer to the question... but just wants to make sure and not act hastily since whatever is next will leave Nabiki exposed.

"My pants, please take them off..."

With a slight grin, Kuno reaches for her pants and gently pulls them off, exposing her bare legs and a very alluring pair of purple lace panties that she happened to be wearing...

"Nice, very nice..."

"Since you've already got something to help me relax, let's get to it..." the slightly blushing brunette says, nodding at the lotion bottle.

The smell of strawberries fill the air as Nabiki relaxes and lets her boyfriend begin applying some body lotion to her feet and working her way up her legs... with Kuno's eyes growing larger as he gets closer to her waist.

"You do wear truly alluring garments..." he notes softly, liking what he sees.

"Give me a break tomorrow and you may see the other half of this combo..." Nabiki says with a wink... and a possible angle into her training tomorrow. Despite such an incentive, Kuno refuses to bow to sexual temptation.

"I do appreciate your offer... but you need to finish your training..." he says with a little reluctance.

"Damn... it was worth a shot. I guess somethings can't be bought..." she admits with some reluctance.

"Exactly my point- experience cannot be bought. You need it and wish thee to survive any attack that might come upon you- this enemy is unlike others of yours... there is no blackmail or price you can name to sway them from their goal"

The brunette has no reply to that and relaxes her back against the pillow as Kuno finishes his massage. 'He might be right... I hate to think it... but those people are crazy and this time, anyone could be in the way as collateral damage...'

After the massage is done, Kuno turns out the light and Nabiki snuggles next to him... but doesn't go to bed right away, even after they exchange "good nights" The thought of the future, good and bad, preoccupies her for a while... and during the night several unusual dreams fill her mind...

The fourth day soon begins and Kuno notices a change in his student. 'Her attitude is different this morning- less complaining, more focus. Perhaps I'm finally getting through to her'

On her part, Nabiki decides to push her own limits a little and begins slowly but surely landing more blows during the course of the day, causing his gi to get tear marks, just like the time they were practing in the Tendo dojo...

After preparing dinner, Kuno and Nabiki engage in small talk and end up talking about martial arts during the whole meal... surprising to both, money is not mentioned once...

"I wish to see this move you mentioned..." the curious kendoist says as he eyes his girfriend.

"You're going to have to wait two more days- I'm saving my best for last. We've got those candles to use up, too... I think that Ukyo and Ryoga really enjoyed the scents and I'm sure we'll need to relax that night..." Nabiki says with a slight hint of nervousness at the end due to the thought of where'd they be with her personal training.

"I hope you will continue this pace..." Kuno tugs at his gi. "I'm actually glad to see you getting through- it shows that I truly have a gifted student"

Nabiki blushes and then looks down at her heart necklace. 'Just for that, maybe we can play a little with night four of my personal training'

"Let's get this cleaned up... we've got another step to do back in the bedroom..."

The kendoist blushes, knowing that he'll probably be seeing his girlfriend for the first time in just a bra and panties. He tries to hide his excitement as he helps Nabiki clear the table of dishes. 'Just the fact she's helping out means she really wants to go back to the bedroom... I hope we have fun but not go somewhere where we're not ready to go'

As the last of the dishes are put in the dishwasher, Kuno decides to try and lighten up the situation.

"I do hope my gi can survive another two days of training with you"

The brunette looks down at her own gi and notices a few tears as well. "I should be saying the same thing- but there's no need to shred my gi, Kuno-baby- I've been letting you take off my clothes every night..."

Kuno's plan backfires as Nabiki winks at him and takes his hand, dragging him into the bedroom. 'Instead of being less nervous I'm more nervous... she seems to have quite a lot of pent up desire and passion...'

"I'll be right out- why don't you change for bed, too?" Nabiki says after letting go of his hand once they reach the bedroom. Her boyfriend nods his head and watches her make a temporary exit into the bathroom. 'My fierce tigress is truly on the prowl tonight' is the thought in his mind as he changes into his pajamas and sits on the bed, It isn't long before Nabiki returns...

"Ready for night four of six?"

"Yes"

"Good..." Nabiki sits on the bed in front of him. "Can you massage my shoulders... and work your way down from there? Might as well have some fun as we get down to the bare essentials..."

Knowing what she has in mind, the nervous Kuno places his hands on her shoulders. "Y-yes... of course"

After a brief pause, Kuno gets to work, loosening Nabiki's tense and tight shoulders. Nabiki closes her eyes and softly moans as his hands go to work. 'My heart's beating so fast... and it's only going to get worse as he moves elsewhere...'

The brunette relaxes her muscles and, despite the nervousness, begins to lose herself in the moment- eventually she wants more then just her shoulders touched by this man... who's sanity and money have really gotten a hold of her and maybe something more...

"Lower..."

"Anything for my brunette goddess..." is Kuno's reply before taking a deep breath. 'She needs this... to be comfortable with our relationship and with herself. I will do my best to give her what she needs...'

Kuno's hands move lower and slowly unbutton the front of her pajamas, pausing occasionally to massage her breasts beneath the shirt and giving time for his girlfriend to enjoy the massage. When his hands finally unbutton the last button and remove the shirt, both teens are red in the face.

"So far so good, Kuno-baby... mmm..." Nabiki purrs sensually. "Don't forget about the other three things... we've got to keep moving forward..."

A smile forms on Kuno's face. 'We both need to move forward and overcome our nervousness about being intimate...'

With only slight hesitation, Kuno gets to work and removes her socks and pants and tossing them aside before his partner gets on all fours above him.

"You did good, Kuno-baby"

The kendoist looks at her body, starting at her legs and working his way forward... noting the black lace garments hugging her curves on the way...

"You as well... you are not nervous to bare all in front of me- you trust me"

"Ah, well... I haven't bared all yet" Nabiki says with a wink. "But we're getting closer..."

"Indeed... quite a bit closer" is the reply from the blushing kendoist as he looks at her chest once again. "I trust you as well..."

Hearing that throws off Nabiki for a few seconds, the word trust was rarely applied to her these days and in her line of work was only sometimes something worth culitvating...

"Thanks, Kuno... I told you at the beginning of this 'training' that I wasn't out to seduce you, just play... and as you can see, all of your clothes are still on"

"Yes, they are... but I would prefer if you slept snuggled against my chest..."

"Hmm, I like that suggestion..." Nabiki lowers herself on top of her boyfriend and snuggles up. "Let's relax... and talk..."

Kuno sighs happily aloud before drawing the blanket over them both. "Of course..."

"Just one more thing before we begin..."

"Yes?"

"Unhook my bra, it'll be more comfortable that way... and practice for tomorrow..."

"Playful to the end..." Kuno chuckles as he complies with her request.

"Better get used to it..." Nabiki says while snuggling even closer, this time with his shirt wide open. "Now, let's talk about us..."

The couple spends the next half hour talking before both go to sleep. The new found confidence lets Nabiki have a more positive dream, though the thought of being a martial artist is still foreign to her despite Kuno's attempts to change that view. His words echo through her mind at the end of the dream... ''Tis not only for protection, these techniques- they are a way of life, fair Nabiki...'

Next day, day #5, brings new techniques and new excercises to Nabiki's repetoire... including several calls for an all out assault on Kuno... though the kendoist gets hurt by some of her blows he keeps egging her on, wanting to see if she can focus her anger and not let it take control and cloud her judgment- in this matter, a split second with a dangerous opponent could make the difference between life and death. By the end of the day he can see a much more focused Nabiki hacking and slashing away... a world of different from five days ago.

On the menu for the evening's meal is a luxurious meal of crab and lobster while is quickly consumed as the not so secret desires for more evening fun manifest themselves yet again... the pair take a more active role and make out as Kuno slowly removes her clothes, pausing to take in the detail of his girlfriends' lingerie and how well it shows off her figure, driving him wild.

"I'm already on the verge... of losing control..." the blushing kendoist admits as he unhooks her bra, wanting to be 100% honest about what's going on.

"But I haven't taken off your clothes, my naughty Kuno-baby... though this definitely proves you're rehabilitated... only an insane person wouldn't be turned on by this..."

"Indeed..." Kuno admits, realizing this challenge was also becoming a personal one for him. "I see you've put some of my funds to good use..."

"Yes, this was a fun set, in my opinion, though I couldn't have bought this sparkly white bra and panty set without a party who was... able to handle me" Nabiki says playfully as she runs a finger down his bare chest, the only thing she would allow herself to see on this trip.

"I love the way you sparkle... I'm almost blinded by your beauty"

Nabiki winks. "I told you to wear your sunglasses... at night..."

Kuno rolls his eyes at the 1980's song reference. "Clever... but I will take a different action..."

Without warning Kuno follows through and removes the source of the sparkling, the bra studded with Swarovski crystals and tosses it aside and looks down. "Much better, though now I am overwhelmed with your... talent..."

A smirk and a blush forms on the brunette's face. "I see you're picking up some slang... and that's not the only talent I have..."

"Indeed- for one thing you've got a talent for the martial arts, long supressed that I have helped bring out"

"Yes... I didn't know I had it in me..." Nabiki says softly as she gently positions herself again his chest. "I've got a surprise for you tomorrow"

"Oh?"

"You'll see when we train... I've got my own special finishing move... and I bet I can beat you"

"We shall see... if the student can beat the master"

"We'll see..." Nabiki says as she snuggles her bare chest against his. "You've seen enough for one night"

"I think so..." Kuno says softly as he caresses her hair. "Tomorrow night is the big night..."

"Yeah... so far, so good..." the sleepy brunette says before falling asleep. This time it's Kuno that stays awake later, thinking about what just happened... and wondering just what surprises she has in store for him tomorrow...

After a hearty breakfast and some small talk, both teens are ready for their morning battle. Kuno was unable to glean any useful information from his girlfriend so is trying to be ready for any type of attack.

"Your move, fair Nabiki"

"Hope you're ready..." Nabiki grabs her bokken and points at Kuno. "Here I come!"

The brunette charges forward and attacks... but instead of a bokken strike or physical attack she has something different in mind...

'Photographs?' Kuno reaches out and grabs one and sees Nabiki in the ships bathroom in a provactive pose.

"This is your attack? 'Tis just a momentary distraction..." Kuno thrusts his own sword forward and is hit in the face with more photos, this time with the same pose but with her shirt off...

"Eat that!" is the battle cry as Kuno tries to get the photos out of his face, though the image on them causes him to pause, just for a fraction of a second. As soon as he gets the photos out of his face, another volley flies in front of him- same pose, shirt and pants off...

Kuno begins to get frustrated. "Arrgh, this is some trickery Nabiki..."

Nabiki steps back and prepares the next attack as he stabs at this round of photos. "You should know better, Kuno-baby, I'm full of surprises..."

"As alluring as you are, I won't let you... mmmph..." Kuno's speech is interrupted as another wad of pics hits him, with his girlfriend clad in just her panties... the sight of which causes him to blush.

"Can't handle the pics? I thought you did well last night with the real thing..." Nabiki playfully taunts, wanting him to charge her one more time. As much as he hates to, Kuno begins shredding the pics with his bokken and goes on the offensive, hitting Nabiki a few times before the brunette manages to pull back enough to safely release the final photo attack...

"Final attack, Brunette Goddess Temptation"

Boldly, Kuno speaks out at the same time. "There's nothing so far that I have not seen..."

"Oh yes there is..." is her reply as the last photos fly in his face, this time they stop him for a few seconds as his eyes bug out at the sight of the nude goddess...

"Beautiful..."

"And deadly..." the sound of rips are heard as Nabiki attacks and shreds much of her opponents gi. "I win"

In the face of defeat Kuno cannot help but be humbled by this surprise attack and bows gracefully before the victor. "I'm truly impressed- in one week you have been someone that has been doing this art for a long time"

"I guess us Tendo's are fast learners, when we need to be... I think I just proved that- and so did my sister in her own fight with the others"

"I agree... and now, it's time for a victory lunch my dear"

Nabiki smiles and rubs her stomach. "Hmm, that sounds good!"

Kuno nods his head. "Give me 15 minutes and lunch will be served..." the tendoist then turns away and heads towards the exit to the next room. "Are you coming?"

"I'm going to clean up... I'll be there in a few minutes..."

After Kuno leaves, Nabiki quickly picks up all the photos. "These have to be burned..." she mutters to herself softly, not wanting a repeat of what happened to her as a result of Ranma and Akane's photo escapade. Once all the photos are gathered she slips a few into her pocket, having a last second change of heart on some but still dedicated to burn the others.

Near the end of lunch preperations Kuno sees his girlfriend walk in with all the pictures and knows what she needs to do...

"You wish to burn all of them?"

"Yes... I took them just to beat you... and now that game is over so..." Nabiki shoves the pics into the flame on the stove, setting an intense but short lived fire and sending white ash into the air...

"As disappointed as I am to see those go... I know I will be seeing the real thing soon..." is Kuno's reaction to the burning pics as a slight smirk forms on his face.

"Pervert" Nabiki sticks out her tongue playfully. "I'll go set things up so after lunch, well, we can celebrate the end of the training"

"I will be waiting for you here then..." Kuno says as he stirs the soup, allowing its aroma to fill the air as he minds their meal, though his mind dares to wonder about thoughts of his girlfriend... naked...

In the bedroom, Nabiki takes out the candles and places them on the stand, making sure to open some of the air vents in the room for air circulation. 'Interesting color on these candles...' she notes as she can see the faint outline of a naked female on one and a naked male on the other. 'Hmm... I have a theory about these... and Ranma and Akane have been acting a bit more secretively lately, I didn't buy that stomachache excuse... so...'

Before she can think any more about the subject, her boyfriend calls her into the kitchen to eat. His eyes lock onto her and watch her as she gets her soup and sits down at the table.

"There is only one thing I request before we go back"

That gets Nabiki curious. "And what's that?"

"That you not show of your new skills in public until you're attacked- you have the element of surprise in regards to your opponents and it's unwise to show your hand until it's neccesary"

"Hmm, good point. I guess I won't get to show off to my friends until after this crisis is over..." Nabiki says with a soft sigh and then returns to her soup. As she eats, she notes that in just a few minutes she's about to truly bare all with her man. 'I've never been this close with anyone, thought of anyone in this way... and he won't take advantage of me, no matter what I do... the sane Kuno is truly one of a kind...'

On the other side of the table opposite of Nabiki, Kuno is inwardly nervous, afraid that he might let emotions get the best of him... or she might, once the last of the clothing slips away. Despite that thought, however, the kendoist notes her restrain from each of the previous evenings and weighs in the fact that maybe things will just go far enough to get interesting without crossing the line.

Time seems to pass by at a snails pace and by the time lunch is done and the dishes put away in the dishwasher both teens are red in the face and nervously head into the bedroom. Kuno takes Nabiki's hand and walks with her over to the bed and sits down.

"You don't have to do this..." he whispers softly, wanting to make sure any action taken is by her own desire.

"Yes, I do..." the brunette responds before getting up and lighting the two candles, allowing the sweet smell to quickly fill the room. She sits back down again and smiles. "It's more fun if we finish this last step... or are you just content with the photograph?"

"If you put it that way, well..." Kuno pauses for a moment, not wanting to sound too eager or perverted. "I would like to help you with the last step..."

Feeling a sudden warmth and increase in desire, the brunette cannot help but be quite happy at that reply. "Mmm... I was hoping that you'd say that..."

"Oh..." is Kuno's reply as similar feelings begin overwhelming him as well. Slowly, Nabiki wraps her arms around her boyfriend and begins kissing him, the need ever increasing as his hands begin working their way down from her shoulders to her waist, only pausing to undo the sash and release the gi...

"Hmm... I see you have gone with a jungle motif today..." Kuno says while eyeing the black and yellow striped bra.

"Yes, because I knew we'd be getting wild..." Nabiki replies with a wink before undoing his gi and rubbing his now bare chest. "Less words, Tarzan, more action..."

Kuno almost makes a comment about his "Lady Jane" counterpart but refrains and begins pulling off the rest of her clothes, starting with her pants in order to see if her panties matched her bra which they do, much to Kuno's delight. Despite the increased passion, Nabiki takes no more action towards "equaling" things out and contents herself to teasing her man as he works on making her feel good. As time passes and the room is saturated with the incense aroma from the candles, both teens begin to feel sleepy... Kuno barely finishes removing her bra before falling unconscious on the bed, Nabiki falls asleep moments later right next to him...

"I can't believe it's been six months since we last took this boat out..." Nabiki says as she enters the bedroom on the yacht with Kuno entow.

"We've been busy... school, Amazons, college interviews... but now I am back with my brunette goddess on a private getaway"

"Yeah..." Nabiki stops and lights several candles that she had placed earlier in the room before turning down the lights. While she does that, Kuno notices other items lying around the room and comes to one obvious conclusion about their visit to the yacht...

"You wish to do... additional training with me?" is the most innocent way Kuno can put his question.

"Mmhmm... there's one move I'd like to learn from you in private... well, it's more like use of another weapon..." Nabiki blushes and winks, leaving Kuno confused.

"Weapon?"

"Sit down on the bed and I'll show you what I mean..." Nabiki slinks back towards the door as Kuno does as he's told. He watches out of the corner of his eyes as the brunette stands at the entrance to the room in a very suggestive pose, bent over facing him.

"You're truly beautiful... and enticing..."

"Thank you... but this kitty hasn't even begun to pounce yet..." Nabiki reaches for the sash of her silk robe, with leopard pattern and lets her robe drop to the ground, bringing her evenings' choice of lingerie to full view.

"Do you like it?" Nabiki teases while moving sultry towards the bed.

Overwhelmed with desire and lust for his girlfriend, Kuno only nods nervously as she moves closer, stopping to take off her heels at the foot of the bed. "I remember how much you liked that jungle set and since this another time we're getting wild, well... I thought it was only fitting..."

"Ah..." is about all Kuno can say as his girlfriend gets on the bed and moves closer and closer. He smiles as his heart necklace moves along with other tantalizing parts of her body which appear to be even larger the normal, no doubt do to her lingerie. 'She is truly has stolen my heart and soul and I do want her very badly'

The brunette slips on her hands under his shirt and rubs his chest. "I think I have some explaining to do..."

"Yes... what did you mean earlier?"

"Oh Kuno-baby, you're so innocent..." Nabiki moves closer and lowers her voice to a whisper. "I want to see your OTHER sword..."

Kuno blushes as her hand mometarily moves below his waist down into "dangerous territory"... making it very obvious what she meant by that.

"OH..."

"We've been fooling around too long... I set up everything for a romantic encounter... I need you..."

In response to that Kuno begins looking over at his brunette goddess and her sexy outfit, causing to realize that she's wanted this for a long time but had restrained herself- the "I need you" is proof enough of her sincerity towards him and their relationship.

"I need you as well... my wild leopard..."

Appreciating the small joke about her lingerie and the momentary lightening of the mood, Nabiki smiles and begins tugging on his shirt, eventually removing the garment and tossing it aside.

"Much better" she coos softly.

Wanting to get into a more comfortable position, Kuno moves over on the bed and props up a few pillows against the headboard before relaxing his head onto them, Nabiki lets him get into position before straddling his hips and begins slowly grinding her hips into his.

Kuno cannot help but moan as a result of what she's doing. "That feels good..."

"I like it, too..." the brunette says before lowering her body on top of his. "Show me what else you've been wanting to do to me... and I'll do the same..."

Deciding to make one last joke before things get serious, Kuno begins grabbing her firm behind and squeezing it as she continues moving her hips. "Anything for my naughty kitty..."

"ME-OW..." is the last thing Nabiki says besides her lovers name as their lips meet, releasing long stored passion that had been restrained for so long. Both enjoy the feeling of freedom as hands and inhibtions run wild... and clothes begin to be pulled off. Nabiki is first, getting rid of one of the obstacles by removing his pants... while is replied with inkind by the removal of her panties and after some massage, her bra.

"Time for some swordplay..." the now naked brunette says while reaching for his boxers. "Show me how talented you are with your other sword..."

A smile forms on Kuno's face as she equals things out and the chill of the room hits his full body. "Anything for you, Nabiki..."

After making sure protection is in place the two lovers go at it like there's no tomorrow and soon pass out, totally exhausted but satisfied with each other and the final release of their pent up sexual desires for one another. As soon as they fall asleep in the dream the pair wakes up in real life...

Slowly Nabiki comes to life, her eyes blinking rapidly. She can see Kuno's chest in front of her as she gently tilts her head to assess her current situation. 'Looks like we passed out... and had quite a good time... in our dreams'

The brunette wiggles her body a little and realizes that despite falling asleep her personal mission was a sucess- her boyfriend did manage to remove the last clothing before falling asleep himself. A slight blush covers Nabiki's face as she ponders what just happened, both in reality and in the dreams.

'I guess I do really want this guy... and I'm handling this situation well, he's still got clothes on and I don't yet I'm not freaking out'

Almost on cue, Kuno moans aloud, causing Nabiki to blush even redder. 'I guess he's still dreaming of me... naughty Kuno-baby...'

Gently Nabiki nuzzles her head against his chest and sighs. 'Mission accomplished Nabiki- you learned how to defend yourself and overcome the other obstacles... when it's time to go for it there should be no problems...'

A couple hours later the pair finally get out of bed and get dressed and the yacht sets sail for home. Later in the evening the couple finally makes it back to the Tendo house where they are greeted by the family...

"Glad to see you both back" Soun says with a smile. "How did your training go?"

"Very well... though Kuno was acting like a slave driver..." Nabiki replies with a nudge of her elbow into her boyfriends' side.

"'Twas neccesary but she's gotten quite good, I think she can defend herself"

"Then the mission was a success" Nodoka says before asking another question. "Did you like the candles?"

Nabiki blushes and replies softly. "Ummm, yes... better then expected..."

"Good" the nodding Nodoka replies, leaving Soun and Genma to wonder just what candles she's talking about.

"Did you need something to eat?" Kasumi asks, wondering if they had time to eat on their return journey.

"Sure, that'd be great... the last thing we had was lunch..." Nabiki says gratefully before taking a seat at the table, Kuno follows suit and the pair relaxes.

Ranma and Akane come downstairs a few minutes later, having finished their homework. They're happy to see that Nabiki and Kuno have returned safely.

"So, how'd it go?"

Not wanting to rehash all the details, Nabiki gives a short and simple answer. "Fine Ranma, just fine"

"It's going to weird to be thinking of you as a martial artist, sis" Akane says playfully.

"'Tis true, people will not be expecting you to possess such skills..." Kuno says before adding a cautionary note. "We should keep your abilities secret until neccesary"

Nodoka agrees with that comment. "Such a wise young man... no wonder Nabiki wants you so badly"

Once again Nabiki is put on the spot and blushes. She quietly lowers her head and then comes up with an idea. "I've got an idea... since Akane seems to doubt my abilities, how about a one on one demonstration after dinner?"

"Hmm... okay..." the curious Akane says before taking a seat at the table, Ranma follows her lead and does the same and the rest of the time until Kasumi returns is spent in small talk... until Happosai comes bounding in with a sack of stolen lingerie...

"Nabiki, you've returned to me!" the old man says as he eyes Nabiki's tight fitting gi. "Sweeto!"

Knowing what's about to happen Nabiki secretly prepares to draw her sword as the old man jumps towards her and attempts to grab her breasts... and fails when he gets too close, put down by some quick strikes from Nabiki's bokken.

"Not bad..." Genma says with a chuckle as he looks at the stunned and confused Master lying on the floor.

"That was just a mere taste of my new skills, no more groping Happosai" the brunette warns sternly.

"But Nabiki..." the old man complains, still woozy from the unexpected hits.

"Only her boyfriend can do that..." Nodoka chimes in happily, causing Kuno to roll his eyes and Nabiki's face to blush. Ranma and Akane shake their head, sorry to see the torture but glad at the same time that it's not them in the spotlight. Before any more "incidents" can occur, Kasumi returns with dinner and serves everyone and soon the action shifts from the kitchen to the dojo.

Before the battle begins, Nabiki excuses herself to head upstairs and find something to use for best attack, only tailored to face her sister and not her boyfriend. Kuno follows her into the room and watches her reaching under her bed for something...

"What are you looking for?"

"Oh, something special for Akane... some photos..." is the mischevious answer from the brunette. "Ah hah..."

Nabiki takes several photos of Ranma and stuffs them up her sleeves. "Now I'm ready!"

Kuno can only shake his head. "You will definitely distract your sister... and embarass her and her husband"

"Isn't that the point? Let's go..." Not wanting to discuss this any further, Nabiki takes Kuno's hand and pulls him towards the dojo where the rest of the family is waiting...

The younger and middle Tendo sisters square off, both eyeing the other. Akane plays it defensive at first, wanting to see just what kind of attacks her sister learned... though Nabiki, knowing better, starts out simple and gets more and more complex with her attacks...

Everyone watching the match is impressed, especially Ranma who notices the damage Nabiki's attacks are doing to his wife's gi more then anything else. 'Thank you Nabiki!'

"That's enough, sis, time to end this..." Akane says with a growl, not like the fact that she hadn't won yet, or that her clothing was getting torn up in front of her family.

"I agree... time for my final technique... I call this one, "Baka Distraction""

"Huh?"

An instant later a flurry of photos fills the room, blinding Akane momentarily. As she swats the pics away she blushes, noticing just who's on them...

"Oh my" Kasumi says as a photo of Ranma in only his boxers flies into her lap. "I thought you weren't going to blackmail Ranma anymore..."

"I never said I got rid of the photos..." is the reply as Nabiki rips the front of Akane's gi wide open... causing the tomboy to get even more enraged. Akane, in split-second precision, catches the bokken between her hands and snaps it before doing a flying tackle of her sister, sliding halfway across the dojo before the momentum stops them both. The strong purple aura Akane is eminating almost scares Nabiki as her sister pins her to the ground...

"Surrender or else!"

"Okay, okay... you win sis. You'll be thanking me later for this, trust me..." the brunette says with a wink before slumping to the floor. 'Ouch, that hurt my back...'

A round of clapping breaks out as Akane stands up and extends a hand out to her sister.

"Very impressive for just one week" Soun says proudly.

"Very good my dear, I see your samurai has taught you well" Nodoka adds as she notes the damage to Akane's clothes- though that would probably wouldn't be a deterrant for an Amazon.

"Don't forget to keep this ability a secret" Genma adds, remembering the whole point of this training- self defense with a surprise.

"Oh, don't worry, I won't be using it unless I have to..."

"Aww, but you put on such a good show..." Happosai complains then looks at Akane, her legs visible through tattered pants along with the fancy bra she had been wearing. "Or maybe Akane's putting on the show"

"Huh?" Akane looks down and quickly covers up her exposed chest. "Don't get me pissed off..."

The perverted master backs up a few steps and then jokes with Ranma. "How's married life my boy"

"Not bad..." is his non-chalent answer as he eyes his wife. "Not bad at all"

Akane blushes but says nothing as she walks over to Ranma. "Good answer... now let's go back upstairs and finish our homework"

'I'll bet they're working on homework...' Happosai thinks as he bounds away, in search of bras. 'I could've stolen Akane's just then, Ranma would've liked that, too... but she did put on a good show. I'm sure I can find some more silky darlings out there in the night...'

The audience dispers and Akane and Ranma head upstairs, eyeing each other the whole time. Once they get in the bedroom and lock the door, Ranma says words he's be meaning to say for over ten minutes.

"Looking good, tomboy... all hot and sweaty"

"Baka..." Akane says softly as she moves in for a kiss. "It's better when you make me that way..."

"Mmm..." Ranma moans as his wife goes in for a very loving and passionate kiss. He replies in turn and reaches over on the dresser for something... Akane feels the gentle feeling of cloth against her neck a moment later.

"What's that?"

"You're all sweaty, I want to help you clean up..."

"I can just take a shower..." Akane says, hoping he'll say something good in reply.

Ranma plays along. "That's not as fun..."

"Pervert" Akane croons as he begins wiping the sweat off of her face and then off of her chest, causing the shredded gi to fall to the ground. Ranma does his best to enjoy himself as he removes her shredded pants and wipes off her legs as well...

"Thanks Ranma..." Akane says as he finishes up... though her husband still has some tricks up his sleeve.

"Are you sure I'm done?" the pigtailed martial artist says as he eagerly devours his lingerie clad wife with his eyes.

Knowing what he's up to, Akane just rolls her eyes and moves dangerously close to Ranma. "Baka, we're going to STUDY tomorrow..."

"Yea, I know... but you look so good tomboy" Ranma says, noting the this new set that he hadn't seen before, a light, pale blue color lace bra and matching panties.

Akane moves closer and in the blink of an eye takes off his shirt. "Tomorrow, baka, tomorrow... but at least you get a nice show and now, so do I"

"Okay... that's what this marriage thing is all about, right? Compromise?"

A warm smile forms on Akane's face. "Exactly... so let's go to bed... my sister actually tired me out..."

Ranma sets up the futon and gets in, allowing Akane to snuggle next to him once he's made her more comfortable by unhooking her bra. She gently rubs her hand on his chest as the couple talk to each other in hushed tones...

There's one more unintended consequence from the fight between Akane and Nabiki that manifests itself later that evening... Kasumi sits awake in her bed, wondering if she can be that energetic and physical in a match against her own sisters, let alone an intruder that's out to harm her for real'

"How should I overcome this? I don't want to change who I am... but I need to acquire more skills to survive. Maybe forming a closer bond to Dr. Tofu is the only way to..."

The soft spoken Kasumi stops and blushes as the thought of doing more training with her boyfriend and instructor and ponders what would be a good next move, since he appears to be doing quite well about having her in his presence...

End chapter 21E

To be continued in chapter 22: Autumn Breeze

Picture references for this chapter-

Nabiki's fancy Swarovski crystal bra: .com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1292991023248&c=Page&cid=1292979625048&pagename=vsdWrapper Nabiki bra/panty reference for the dream sequence (Leopard Set, Miraculous Bombshell): .com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265384522147&c=Page&cid=1292993398090&pagename=vsdWrapper Dream Picture of Nabiki and Kuno (Dream #3 of the set): .com/art/dream-a-little-dream-of-me-2-164636006 Nabiki's jungle lingerie inspired by the character of "Lum" from Urusei Yatsura, another Rumiko Takahashi creation: .com/art/Lum-33027632 .com/art/Urusei-Yatsura-Lum-176322057 


End file.
